Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in Nigeria: systematic review of population-based studies

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Chukwuonye II

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Innocent Ijezie Chukwuonye,1 Okechukwu Samuel Ogah,2 Ernest Ndukaife Anyabolu,3 Kenneth Arinze Ohagwu,1 Ogbonna Collins Nwabuko,4 Uwa Onwuchekwa,5 Miracle Erinma Chukwuonye,6 Emmanuel Chukwuebuka Obi,1 Efosa Oviasu7 1Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia State, 2Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University College Hospital Ibadan, Oyo State 3Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital Awka, Anambra State, 4Department of Haematology, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, 5Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, 6Department of Family Medicine, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, 7Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria Background: The aim of this study was to identify and discuss published population-based studies carried out in Nigeria that have information on the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD and have also used the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI practice guidelines in defining CKD, with emphasis on the performance of three estimating equations for glomerular filtration rate (GFR – Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD, Cockcroft–Gault, and CKD epidemiology collaboration (CKD-EPI creatinine equation. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search was carried out in Google, MEDLINE, PubMed, and AJOL database, with the aim of identifying relevant population-based studies with information on the prevalence of CKD in a location in Nigeria. Results: Seven cross-sectional population-based studies were identified. Two of the studies used the Cockcroft–Gault and observed a prevalence of 24.4% and 26%. Four of the studies used the MDRD and the prevalences observed were 12.3%, 14.2%, 2.5%, and 13.4%. One of the studies used the CKD

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome according to Sasang Constitutional Medicine in Korean Subjects.

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Song, Kwang Hoon; Yu, Sung-Gon; Kim, Jong Yeol

2012-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex disorder defined by a cluster of abdominal obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension; the condition is recognized as a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the effects of the Sasang constitution group (SCG) on the risk of MS in Korean subjects. We have analyzed 1,617 outpatients of Korean oriental medicine hospitals who were classified into three SCGs, So-Yang, So-Eum, and Tae-Eum. Significant differences were noted in the prevalence of MS and the frequencies of all MS risk factors among the three SCGs. The odds ratios for MS as determined via multiple logistic regression analysis were 2.004 for So-Yang and 4.521 for Tae-Eum compared with So-Eum. These results indicate that SCG may function as a significant risk factor of MS; comprehensive knowledge of Sasang constitutional medicine may prove helpful in predicting susceptibility and developing preventive care techniques for MS.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome according to Sasang Constitutional Medicine in Korean Subjects

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Kwang Hoon Song

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Metabolic syndrome (MS is a complex disorder defined by a cluster of abdominal obesity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension; the condition is recognized as a risk factor for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study assessed the effects of the Sasang constitution group (SCG on the risk of MS in Korean subjects. We have analyzed 1,617 outpatients of Korean oriental medicine hospitals who were classified into three SCGs, So-Yang, So-Eum, and Tae-Eum. Significant differences were noted in the prevalence of MS and the frequencies of all MS risk factors among the three SCGs. The odds ratios for MS as determined via multiple logistic regression analysis were 2.004 for So-Yang and 4.521 for Tae-Eum compared with So-Eum. These results indicate that SCG may function as a significant risk factor of MS; comprehensive knowledge of Sasang constitutional medicine may prove helpful in predicting susceptibility and developing preventive care techniques for MS.

Adolescents' medicine use for headache

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holstein, Bjørn E; Andersen, Anette; Fotiou, Anastasios

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: This study reports secular trends in medicine use for headache among adolescents in 20 countries from 1986 to 2010. METHODS: The international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey includes self-reported data about medicine use for headaches among nationally...... representative samples of 11-, 13- and 15-year-olds. We included 20 countries with data from at least three data collection waves, with a total of 380 129 participants. RESULTS: The prevalence of medicine use for headaches varied from 16.5% among Hungarian boys in 1994 to 62.9% among girls in Wales in 1998....... The prevalence was higher among girls than boys in every country and data collection year. The prevalence of medicine use for headaches increased in 12 of 20 countries, most notably in the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, Sweden and Wales. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of medicine use for headaches among adolescents...

Dynamic functional studies in nuclear medicine in developing countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The Proceedings document some of the trials and tribulations involved in setting up nuclear medicine facilities in general and specifically as regards nuclear medicine applications for the diagnosis of the diseases prevalent in the less developed countries. Most of the 51 papers deal with various clinical applications of dynamic functional studies. However, there was also a session on quality control of the equipment used, and a panel discussion critically looked at the problems and potential of dynamic studies in developing countries. This book will be of interest and use not only to those practising nuclear medicine in the developing countries, but it may also bring home to users in developed countries how ''more can be done with less''. Refs, figs and tabs

Prevalence of potential drug–drug interactions among internal medicine ward in University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Ethiopia

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Akshaya Srikanth Bhagavathula

2014-05-01

Conclusion: We have recorded a high rate of prevalence of potential DDI in the internal medicine ward of UOG hospital and a high number of clinically significant DDIs which the most prevalent DDI were of moderate severity. Careful selection of drugs and active pharmaceutical care is encouraged in order to avoid negative consequences of these interactions.

Incidence and Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction in Women and Men: A Consensus Statement from the Fourth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine 2015.

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McCabe, Marita P; Sharlip, Ira D; Lewis, Ron; Atalla, Elham; Balon, Richard; Fisher, Alessandra D; Laumann, Edward; Lee, Sun Won; Segraves, Robert T

2016-02-01

The incidence and prevalence of various sexual dysfunctions in women and men are important to understand to designate priorities for epidemiologic and clinical research. This manuscript was designed to conduct a review of the literature to determine the incidence and prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women and men. Members of Committee 1 of the Fourth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (2015) searched and reviewed epidemiologic literature on the incidence and prevalence of sexual dysfunctions. Key older studies and most studies published after 2009 were included in the text of this article. The outcome measures were the reports in the various studies of the incidence and prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women and men. There are more studies on incidence and prevalence for men than for women and many more studies on prevalence than incidence for women and men. The data indicate that the most frequent sexual dysfunctions for women are desire and arousal dysfunctions. In addition, there is a large proportion of women who experience multiple sexual dysfunctions. For men, premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction are the most common sexual dysfunctions, with less comorbidity across sexual dysfunctions for men compared with women. These data need to be treated with caution, because there is a high level of variability across studies caused by methodologic differences in the instruments used to assess presence of sexual dysfunction, ages of samples, nature of samples, methodology used to gather the data, and cultural differences. Future research needs to use well-validated tools to gather data and ensure that the data collection strategy is clearly described. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of incidental or unexpected findings on low-dose CT performed during routine SPECT/CT nuclear medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yap, Kelvin Kwok-Ho; Sutherland, Tom; Shafik-Eid, Raymond; Taubman, Kim; Schlicht, Stephen; Ramaseshan, Ganeshan

2015-01-01

In nuclear medicine, single-photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) is often combined with ‘simultaneous’ low-dose CT (LDCT) to provide complementary anatomical and functional correlation. As a consequence, numerous incidental and unexpected findings may be detected on LDCT. Recognition of these findings and appropriate determination of their relevance can add to the utility of SPECT/CT. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and categorise the relevance of incidental and unexpected findings on LDCT scans performed as part of routine SPECT/CT studies. All available LDCT scans performed as part of SPECT/CT studies at St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne in the year 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Two qualified radiologists independently reviewed the studies and any previous available imaging and categorised any detected incidental findings. A total of 2447 LDCT studies were reviewed. The relevance of the findings was classified according to a modified version of a scale used in the Colonography Reporting and Data System: E1 = normal or normal variant (28.0%); E2 = clinically unimportant (63.5%); E3 = likely unimportant or incompletely characterised (6.2%); E4 = potentially important (2.5%). Imaging specialists need to be cognisant of incidental and unexpected findings present on LDCT studies performed as part of SPECT/CT. Appropriate categorisation of findings and communication of potentially important findings to referring clinicians should form part of routine practice. The overall prevalence of potentially significant incidental and unexpected findings in our series was 8.7% (E3, 6.2%; E4, 2.5%) and was comparable to rates in other published imaging series.

Substandard and counterfeit medicines: a systematic review of the literature

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Almuzaini, Tariq; Choonara, Imti; Sammons, Helen

2013-01-01

Objective To explore the evidence available of poor-quality (counterfeit and substandard) medicines in the literature. Design Systematic review. Data sources Databases used were EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed and the International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, including articles published till January 2013. Eligibility criteria Prevalence studies containing original data. WHO definitions (1992) used for counterfeit and substandard medicines. Study appraisal and synthesis Two reviewers independently scored study methodology against recommendations from the MEDQUARG Checklist. Studies were classified according to the World Bank classification of countries by income. Data extraction Data extracted: place of study; type of drugs sampled; sample size; percentage of substandard/counterfeit medicines; formulations included; origin of the drugs; chemical analysis and stated issues of counterfeit/substandard medicines. Results 44 prevalence studies were identified, 15 had good methodological quality. They were conducted in 25 different countries; the majority were in low-income countries (11) and/or lower middle-income countries (10). The median prevalence of substandard/counterfeit medicines was 28.5% (range 11–48%). Only two studies differentiated between substandard and counterfeit medicines. Prevalence data were limited to antimicrobial drugs (all 15 studies). 13 studies involved antimalarials, 6 antibiotics and 2 other medications. The majority of studies (93%) contained samples with inadequate amounts of active ingredients. The prevalence of substandard/counterfeit antimicrobials was significantly higher when purchased from unlicensed outlets (pcounterfeit medicines. Most studies assessed only a single therapeutic class of antimicrobials. Conclusions The prevalence of poor-quality antimicrobial medicines is widespread throughout Africa and Asia in lower income countries and lower middle-income countries . The main problem identified was inadequate amounts of the active

Prevalência e fatores determinantes do consumo de medicamentos no Município de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil Prevalence and determinants of medicines consumption in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil

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Paulo Sérgio Dourado Arrais

2005-12-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho tem por finalidade investigar a prevalência e os determinantes do consumo de medicamentos pela população de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. Com base em um delineamento transversal de base populacional, estudou-se uma amostra representativa de 331 domicílios, onde foram entrevistadas 1.370 pessoas, no período de outubro/2002 a janeiro/2003. Foram consideradas consumidoras de medicamentos todas as pessoas que nos 15 dias anteriores à entrevista tenham consumido pelo menos um medicamento. Para análise estatística foram incluídas 1.366 pessoas. A prevalência do consumo de medicamentos foi de 49,7%. Os fatores preditores do consumo na análise multivariada, por regressão logística, foram: renda familiar mensal maior que três salários mínimos, idade igual ou maior que 50 anos, sexo feminino, três ou menos pessoas por domicílio, doente crônico, ter plano de saúde e ter se consultado uma ou mais vezes nos últimos três meses. A prevalência do consumo de medicamentos em Fortaleza é elevada, mas encontra-se dentro dos parâmetros encontrados no Brasil e no exterior. No entanto, sugere que existe uma iniqüidade no acesso aos medicamentos.The objective of this work was to investigate the prevalence and determinants of medicines consumption in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out in a representative sample of 331 households. A total of 1,370 persons living in Fortaleza were interviewed from October 2002 to January 2003, and 1,366 were selected for this study. Consumers were defined as all persons having used one or more drugs during the preceding 15 days. The prevalence of medicine consumption was 49.7%. The following were the predictive factors for medicines consumption according to the multivariate logistic regression analysis: family income > 3 minimum wages, older age ( > or = 50, female gender, > or = 3 persons living in household, chronic disease, having a health

Prevalence and Correlates of Herbal Medicine Use among Women Seeking Care for Infertility in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

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James, Peter Bai; Taidy-Leigh, Lexina; Bah, Abdulai Jawo; Kanu, Joseph Sam; Kangbai, Jia Bainga; Sevalie, Stephen

2018-01-01

In resource-poor countries where access to infertility care is limited, women may turn to traditional medicine to achieve motherhood. It is unknown whether Sierra Leonean women with such condition use herbal medicine. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted among women seeking care for infertility at various clinics within Freetown, Sierra Leone. Data analysis included Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Out of the 167 women that participated, 36.5% used herbal medicine for infertility treatment. Women with no formal (AOR 4.03, CL: 1.38-11.76, p = 0.011), primary education (AOR: 6.23, CL: 2.02-19.23, p = 0.001) and those that visited a traditional medicine practitioner (AOR: 20.05, CL: 2.10-192.28, p = 0.009) as well as women suffering from other reproductive health problems (AOR: 2.57, CL: 1.13-5.83, p = 0.024) were more likely to use herbal medicines. Friends and family ( n = 57, 96.7%) were the main influencers of herbal medicine use. Only ( n = 12) 19.7% of users disclosed their status to their healthcare provider. Over half ( n = 32, 52.5%) could not remember the name of the herb they used . Luffa acutangula ( n = 29, 100%) was the herbal medicinal plant users could recall. Herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility in Freetown is common. Healthcare providers should be aware of the potential dyadic use of herbal and allopathic medicines by their patients and be knowledgeable about commonly used herbal remedies as well as being proactive in communicating the potential risks and benefits associated with their use.

Prevalence and Correlates of Herbal Medicine Use among Women Seeking Care for Infertility in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Science.gov (United States)

Taidy-Leigh, Lexina; Bah, Abdulai Jawo; Kanu, Joseph Sam; Kangbai, Jia Bainga; Sevalie, Stephen

2018-01-01

In resource-poor countries where access to infertility care is limited, women may turn to traditional medicine to achieve motherhood. It is unknown whether Sierra Leonean women with such condition use herbal medicine. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted among women seeking care for infertility at various clinics within Freetown, Sierra Leone. Data analysis included Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Out of the 167 women that participated, 36.5% used herbal medicine for infertility treatment. Women with no formal (AOR 4.03, CL: 1.38–11.76, p = 0.011), primary education (AOR: 6.23, CL: 2.02–19.23, p = 0.001) and those that visited a traditional medicine practitioner (AOR: 20.05, CL: 2.10–192.28, p = 0.009) as well as women suffering from other reproductive health problems (AOR: 2.57, CL: 1.13–5.83, p = 0.024) were more likely to use herbal medicines. Friends and family (n = 57, 96.7%) were the main influencers of herbal medicine use. Only (n = 12) 19.7% of users disclosed their status to their healthcare provider. Over half (n = 32, 52.5%) could not remember the name of the herb they used. Luffa acutangula (n = 29, 100%) was the herbal medicinal plant users could recall. Herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility in Freetown is common. Healthcare providers should be aware of the potential dyadic use of herbal and allopathic medicines by their patients and be knowledgeable about commonly used herbal remedies as well as being proactive in communicating the potential risks and benefits associated with their use. PMID:29849738

Prevalence and Correlates of Herbal Medicine Use among Women Seeking Care for Infertility in Freetown, Sierra Leone

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Peter Bai James

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In resource-poor countries where access to infertility care is limited, women may turn to traditional medicine to achieve motherhood. It is unknown whether Sierra Leonean women with such condition use herbal medicine. This study investigates the prevalence and factors associated with herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional study conducted among women seeking care for infertility at various clinics within Freetown, Sierra Leone. Data analysis included Chi-square tests and logistic regression. Out of the 167 women that participated, 36.5% used herbal medicine for infertility treatment. Women with no formal (AOR 4.03, CL: 1.38–11.76, p=0.011, primary education (AOR: 6.23, CL: 2.02–19.23, p=0.001 and those that visited a traditional medicine practitioner (AOR: 20.05, CL: 2.10–192.28, p=0.009 as well as women suffering from other reproductive health problems (AOR: 2.57, CL: 1.13–5.83, p=0.024 were more likely to use herbal medicines. Friends and family (n=57, 96.7% were the main influencers of herbal medicine use. Only (n=12 19.7% of users disclosed their status to their healthcare provider. Over half (n=32, 52.5% could not remember the name of the herb they used. Luffa acutangula (n=29, 100% was the herbal medicinal plant users could recall. Herbal medicine use among women seeking care for infertility in Freetown is common. Healthcare providers should be aware of the potential dyadic use of herbal and allopathic medicines by their patients and be knowledgeable about commonly used herbal remedies as well as being proactive in communicating the potential risks and benefits associated with their use.

Prevalence and correlates of use of complementary and alternative medicine in children with autism spectrum disorder in Europe.

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Salomone, Erica; Charman, Tony; McConachie, Helen; Warreyn, Petra

2015-10-01

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among a sample of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Europe reported significantly higher rates of CAM use. In the total sample, children with lower verbal ability and children using prescribed medications were more likely to be receiving diets or supplements. Concurrent use of high levels of conventional psychosocial intervention was significantly associated with use of mind-body practices. Higher parental educational level also increased the likelihood of both use of diets and supplements and use of mind-body practices. The high prevalence of CAM use among a sample of young children with ASD is an indication that parents need to be supported in the choice of treatments early on in the assessment process, particularly in some parts of Europe. • Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in children with autism spectrum disorder is common. • In non-EU samples, parents with higher educational level and parents of low functioning children are more likely to use CAM with their children. What is New: • This study provides the first data on prevalence and correlates of use of CAM approaches in a large sample of young children with autism in Europe (N = 1,680). • Rates of CAM use were particularly high in Eastern Europe and correlates of use varied by type of CAM across Europe.

Medicinal plants used in traditional herbal medicine in the province ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Conclusion: The nettle was the medicinal plant employed for more different illness and the chamomile was the one with higher prevalence. We could confirm that the Native Ecuadorians have a vast variety of traditions and popular medicinal practices that have great value and are needed to be researched and studied ...

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study in Pediatric Inpatients.

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Dhankar, Mukesh

2018-01-01

The aim was to study the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in acutely sick hospitalized children and factors associated with it. This is a cross-sectional, hospital-based study in a tertiary care center of Delhi, India. Children admitted to a pediatric unit during the study period were assessed using a specially designed questionnaire. Out of the total 887 admitted children, 161 (18.1%) were using complementary and alternate medicine in one form or another. Of these, 113 (70.2%) were using complementary and alternate medicine for the current illness directly leading to admission and the remaining 48 (29.8%) had used complementary and alternate medicine in past. The common complementary and alternate medicine use observed in our study was combined ayurveda and spiritual approach (25.5%), ayurveda (24.8%), spiritual (21.7%), homeopathic (13%), and 47.2% of children were using spiritual approach in form of Jhada (tying piece of cloth on arm or leg or keeping a knife by the side of child). The significant factors associated with complementary and alternate medicine use were younger age, female gender, and father being employed. Complementary and alternate medicine is commonly used even in acutely sick children.

Healthcare databases in Europe for studying medicine use and safety during pregnancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Charlton, Rachel A; Neville, Amanda J; Jordan, Sue

2014-01-01

data recorded by primary-care practitioners. All databases captured maternal co-prescribing and a measure of socioeconomic status. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that within Europe, electronic healthcare databases may be valuable sources of data for evaluating medicine use and safety during pregnancy......PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to describe a number of electronic healthcare databases in Europe in terms of the population covered, the source of the data captured and the availability of data on key variables required for evaluating medicine use and medicine safety during pregnancy. METHODS....... The suitability of a particular database, however, will depend on the research question, the type of medicine to be evaluated, the prevalence of its use and any adverse outcomes of interest. © 2014 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd....

Prevalence, socio-demographic and clinical predictors of post-diagnostic utilisation of different types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a nationwide cohort of Danish women treated for primary breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Christina Gundgaard; Christensen, Søren; Jensen, Anders Bonde

2009-01-01

This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a nationwide inception cohort of Danish women treated for early-stage breast cancer as well as differences in user patterns for individual types of CAM.......This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in a nationwide inception cohort of Danish women treated for early-stage breast cancer as well as differences in user patterns for individual types of CAM....

Interactions between traditional Chinese medicine and western drugs in Taiwan: A population-based study.

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Chen, Kuan Chen; Lu, Richard; Iqbal, Usman; Hsu, Ko-Ching; Chen, Bi-Li; Nguyen, Phung-Anh; Yang, Hsuan-Chia; Huang, Chih-Wei; Li, Yu-Chuan Jack; Jian, Wen-Shan; Tsai, Shin-Han

2015-12-01

Drug-drug interactions have long been an active research area in clinical medicine. In Taiwan, however, the widespread use of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) presents additional complexity to the topic. Therefore, it is important to see the interaction between traditional Chinese and western medicine. (1) To create a comprehensive database of multi-herb/western drug interactions indexed according to the ways in which physicians actually practice and (2) to measure this database's impact on the detection of adverse effects between traditional Chinese medicine compounds and western medicines. First, a multi-herb/western medicine drug interactions database was created by separating each TCM compound into its constituent herbs. Each individual herb was then checked against an existing single-herb/western drug interactions database. The data source comes from the National Health Insurance research database, which spans the years 1998-2011. This study estimated the interaction prevalence rate and further separated the rates according to patient characteristics, distribution by county, and hospital accreditation levels. Finally, this new database was integrated into a computer order entry module of the electronic medical records system of a regional teaching hospital. The effects it had were measured for two months. The most commonly interacting Chinese herbs were Ephedrae Herba and Angelicae Sinensis Radix/Angelicae Dahuricae Radix. Ephedrae Herba contains active ingredients similar to in ephedrine. 15 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine compounds contain Ephedrae Herba. Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix contain ingredients similar to coumarin, a blood thinner. 9 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine compounds contained Angelicae Sinensis Radix/Angelicae Dahuricae Radix. In the period from 1998 to 2011, the prevalence of herb-drug interactions related to Ephedrae Herba was 0.18%. The most commonly prescribed traditional Chinese compounds were

Herbal medicine use in pregnancy: results of a multinational study

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) is growing in the general population. Herbal medicines are used in all countries of the world and are included in the top CAM therapies used. Methods A multinational study on how women treat disease and pregnancy-related health ailments was conducted between October 2011 and February 2012 in Europe, North and South America and Australia. In this study, the primary aim was to determine the prevalence of herbal medicine use in pregnancy and factors related to such use across participating countries and regions. The secondary aim was to investigate who recommended the use of herbal medication in pregnancy. Results There were 9,459 women from 23 countries participating in the study. Of these, 28.9% reported the use of herbal medicines in pregnancy. Most herbal medicines were used for pregnancy-related health ailments such as cold and nausea. Ginger, cranberry, valerian and raspberry were the most commonly used herbs in pregnancy. The highest reported rate of herbal use medicines was in Russia (69%). Women from Eastern Europe (51.8%) and Australia (43.8%) were twice as likely to use an herbal medicine versus other regions. Women using herbal medicines were characteristically having their first child, non-smokers, using folic acid and consuming some alcohol in pregnancy. Also, women who were currently students and women with an education other than a high school degree were more likely to use herbal medicines than other women. Although 1 out of 5 women stated that a physician had recommended the herbal use, most women used herbal medicine in pregnancy on their own initiative. Conclusions In this multinational study herbal medicine use in pregnancy was high although there were distinct differences in the herbs and users of herbal medicines across regions. Most commonly the women self-medicated with herbal medicine to treat pregnancy-related health ailments. More knowledge regarding the efficacy and safety

Prevalence of herbal medicine use and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health facilities in Hossana Town, Southern Ethiopia: facility based cross sectional study.

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Laelago, Tariku; Yohannes, Tadele; Lemango, Fiseha

2016-01-01

The use of herbal medicine has been on increase in many developing and industrialized countries. More pregnant women use herbal remedies to treat pregnancy related problems due to cost-effectiveness of therapy and easy access of these products. We sought to assess the prevalence of herbal medicine use and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics of public health facilities. Facility based cross sectional study was conducted among 363 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics from May to June 2015 at public health facilities in Hossana town, Hadiya zone, Southern Ethiopia. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect data from each study subject. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to see significance of association between the outcome and independent variables. Odds ratios at 95 % CI were computed to measure the strength of the association between the outcome and the independent variables. P-value herbal medicine during current pregnancy . The herbal medicines commonly taken during current pregnancy were ginger (55.8 %), garlic (69.8 %), eucalyptus (11.6 %), tenaadam (rutachalenssis) (26.4 %), damakesse (ocimumlamiifolium) (22.8 %), feto (3.5 %) and omore (3.1 %). Being students (AOR: (5.68, 95 % CI: (1.53, 21.13), second trimester of pregnancy (AOR: 0.22, 95 % CI: (0.08, 0.76), sufficient knowledge on herbal medicine (AOR: 0.37, 95 % CI: (0.19, 0.79), no formal education (AOR: 4.41, 95 % CI: (1.11, 17.56), primary education (AOR: 4.15, 95 % CI: (1.51, 11.45) and secondary education (AOR: 2.55, 95 % CI: (1.08,6.03) were significantly associated with herbal medicine use. The findings of this study showed that herbal medicine use during pregnancy is a common experience. Commonly used herbal medicines during current pregnancy were garlic, ginger, tenaadam, damakasse and eucalyptus. Educational status, occupation, knowledge on herbal medicine and second trimester of pregnancy were the major factors

High prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in the Dutch pediatric oncology population: a multicenter survey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Singendonk, Maartje; Kaspers, Gert-Jan; Naafs-Wilstra, Marianne; Schouten-van Meeteren, Antoinette; Loeffen, Jan; Vlieger, Arine

2013-01-01

Although complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used in the pediatric population, research on the use of these therapies in the pediatric oncology population is of mixed quality. In this multicenter survey, we investigated the prevalence of CAM use, possible determinants of use, and

Prevalence of Migraine Among Medical Students in Zahedan Faculty of Medicine (Southeast of Iran

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Mohammad R. Shahrakai

2011-09-01

Full Text Available  Introduction: Migraine is a refer pain which is common in adults and children. Migraine and its frequently limits the daily life activities. Since medical students are subjected to stresses regarding lots of tests and the implicit responsibility to the courses, the purpose of the present study carried out to evaluate the prevalence of migraine among medical students in Zahedan University. Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was performed on 210 (male 94 and female 116 medical students in Zahedan faculty of Medicine during an academic year (2005 to 2006. The questionnaire was specified on demographic data and headache questions based on International Headache Society (IHS. Students’ Migraine was confirmed by clinical interviews, general physical and neurological examinations then the data obtained were analyzed using v 11 of SPSS, Chi square. Afterward the percentage and the mean (±SD along with the statistical difference (P<0.05 of the T-tests were calculated. Results and Discussion: The present study showed that the rate of headache during recent academic years was 90.5% in males and 88.8 % in females. The prevalence of migraine was 7.14 % in both sex (migraine without aura 4.29% and migraine with aura 2.86%. The most common of migraine triggers was stress, (73% sleeplessness (52.5%, too much reading (39.25% and fasting (39.55%. In this sense the moderate light and severe incidence were 52.27%, 38.18% and 9.09%. The prevalence of migraine did not have any relations with gender but there was a relation between having migraine and number of studying years.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in elderly population: A study in medicine out-patient department

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ajit Kumar Sah

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background & Objectives: Older individuals often suffer from multiple systemic diseases and are particularly more vulnerable to potentially inappropriate medicine prescribing. Inappropriate medication can cause serious medical problem for the elderly. The study was conducted with objectives to determine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medicine (PIM prescribing in older Nepalese patients in a medicine outpatient department.Materials & Methods: A prospective observational analysis of drugs prescribed in medicine out-patient department (OPD of a tertiary hospital of central Nepal was conducted during November 2012 to October 2013 among 869 older adults aged 65 years and above. The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM in elderly patients was analysed using Beer’s Criteria updated to 2013. Results: In the 869 patients included, the average number of drugs prescribed per prescription was 5.56. The most commonly used drugs were atenolol (24.3%, amlodipine (23.16%, paracetamol (17.6%, salbutamol (15.72% and vitamin B complex (13.26%. The total number of medications prescribed was 4833. At least one instance of PIM was experienced by approximately 26.3% of patients when evaluated using the Beers criteria. Conclusion: Potentially inappropriate medications are highly prevalent among older patients attending medical OPD and are associated with number of medications prescribed. Further research is warranted to study the impact of PIMs towards health related outcomes in these elderly.

Results of prospective multicenter study on heart failure on Campania Internal Medicine wards: the FASHION study

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Fernando Gallucci

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Heart failure (HF is characterized by a high prevalence and hospitalization rate with considerable health and social impact; the knowledge of its epidemiological features remains the mainstay to assess adequacy of the health care needs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of HF in Internal Medicine Units of the Campania region (Italy and patients’ characteristics. We recruited all patients with HF admitted between April 1 and June 30, 2014, in 23 Units of Internal Medicine: 975 patients (19.5% of 5000 admissions, 518 women and 457 men, mean age 76.9±9.9 (range 34-100 with 741 (76% older than 70 years. The mean age was higher in women than men; 35.8% of patients had atrial fibrillation, with higher prevalence in women than in men. Coronary artery disease represented the leading etiology while prevalence of non-ischemic heart failure was higher in women. New York Heart Association class was indicated in 926 patients. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF was measured in 503 patients; 18.4% of patients had a severely reduced LVEF<35%, mostly men (P=0.0001 and 67.4% presented a LVEF>40%. At least one hospital admission in the previous 12 months was registered in 39.6% of patients. One, two and more than two relevant comorbidities were present in 8.6%, 24.7% and 64.8% of patients, respectively. Arterial hypertension and coronary artery disease were more frequent in female. In conclusion, advanced age and clinical complexity were the main characteristics of HF patients hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Units in Campania. Gender differences also emerged from the analysis of demographic parameters and etiopathogenetic features. Some diagnostic and therapeutic aspects not in line with that recommended by the most recent HF international guidelines were registered.

Comparison of Leiomyoma of Modern Medicine and Traditional Persian Medicine.

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Tansaz, Mojgan; Tajadini, Haleh

2016-04-01

Leiomyoma is the most common benign tumor of the pelvic that is associated with reproductive problems such as infertility, frequent abortions, and undesirable prenatal outcomes. High prevalence of leiomyoma and its relation with important gynecological complications, especially during reproductive ages, on the one hand, and high medical expenses and significant complications of common treatments, on the other, made us search traditional Persian medicine texts for a similar disease. In traditional Persian medicine, a condition has been introduced similar to leiomyoma (Oram-e-rahem). In this article, by collecting materials from traditional medicine texts on leiomyoma, we aim to provide theories for further studies on this topic, as there is an obvious difference between traditional Persian medicine and modern medicine with regard to leiomyoma. When modern medicine has not found a suitable response to treatment, reviewing of traditional Persian medicine for finding better treatment strategies is wise. © The Author(s) 2015.

Medicine Use among Warsaw Ninth-Grade Students

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Pisarska, Agnieszka; Ostaszewski, Krzysztof

2011-01-01

Aim: This study examined the prevalence of medicine use for headache, stomachache, difficulties in getting to sleep, nervousness, depression and lack of energy among 15- to 16-year-old students; the relationship between medicine use and students' health status; and the relationship between medicine and nicotine, illegal drug, and alcohol use.…

Social determinants of prescribed and non-prescribed medicine use

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García-Altés Anna

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to describe the use of prescribed and non prescribed medicines in a non-institutionalised population older than 15 years of an urban area during the year 2000, in terms of age and gender, social class, employment status and type of Primary Health Care. Methods Cross-sectional study. Information came from the 2000 Barcelona Health Interview Survey. The indicators used were the prevalence of use of prescribed and non-prescribed medicines in the two weeks prior to the interview. Descriptive analyses, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out. Results More women than men took medicines (75.8% vs. 60% respectively. The prevalence of use of prescribed medicines increased with age while the prevalence of non-prescribed use decreased. These age differences are smaller among those with poor perceived health. In terms of social class, a higher percentage of men with good health in the more advantaged classes took non-prescribed medicines compared with disadvantaged classes (38.7% vs 31.8%. In contrast, among the group with poor health, more people from the more advantaged classes took prescribed medicines, compared with disadvantaged classes (51.4% vs 33.3%. A higher proportion of people who were either retired, unemployed or students, with good health, used prescribed medicines. Conclusion This study shows that beside health needs, there are social determinants affecting medicine consumption in the city of Barcelona.

Some notes on critical appraisal of prevalence studies: Comment on: "The development of a critical appraisal tool for use in systematic reviews addressing questions of prevalence".

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Harder, Thomas

2014-10-01

Decisions in healthcare should be based on information obtained according to the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). An increasing number of systematic reviews are published which summarize the results of prevalence studies. Interpretation of the results of these reviews should be accompanied by an appraisal of the methodological quality of the included data and studies. The critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies developed and tested by Munn et al. comprises 10 items and aims at targeting all kinds of prevalence studies. This comment discusses the pros and cons of different designs of quality appraisal tools and highlights their importance for systematic reviews of prevalence studies. Beyond piloting, which has been performed in the study by Munn et al., it is suggested here that the validity of the tool should be tested, including reproducibility and inter-rater reliability. It is concluded that studies as the one by Munn et al. will help to establish a critical understanding of methodological quality and will support the use of systematic reviews of non-intervention studies for health policy making.

Prevalence of Staphylococcus spp. nasal colonization among doctors of podiatric medicine and associated risk factors in Spain

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Sheila de Benito

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of methicillin-susceptible and -resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA and MRSA and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE nasopharyngeal carriage among Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (Podiatrists and to determine the potential risk factors. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2016–2017 among 239 podiatrists in Spain. The presence of MSSA, MRSA, and MRSE was determined by microbiological analysis of nasal exudate and antimicrobial susceptibility was determined. Each podiatrist completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised various parameters such as sex, age, podiatry experience duration, underlying diseases, prior antibiotic treatment, hospitalization during the last year, and use of a protective mask, an aspiration system, or gloves. Results The prevalence of MSSA, MRSA, and MRSE was 23.0%, 1.3%, and 23.8%, respectively. The MSSA prevalence was higher among podiatrists who did not use an aspiration system (32.3% compared to those who did (19.3%; p = 0.0305, and among podiatrists with respiratory diseases (36.8% compared to those without (20.8%; p = 0.0272. The MRSE prevalence was higher among men (33.7% compared to women (8.6%; p = 0.0089, podiatrists aged ≥50 (38.5% compared to ≤35 (17.8%; p = 0.0101, and podiatrists with ≥15 (39.3% compared to ≤5 years of podiatry experience (12.5%; p = 0.0015. Among the S. aureus strains, 84.5% were resistant to penicillin, 22.4% to erythromycin, 20.7% to clindamycin, and 12.7% to mupirocin. The MRSE strains were resistant to penicillin (93.0%, erythromycin (78.9%, and mupirocin (73.7%. Conclusions The prevalence of S. aureus and S. epidermidis nasal carriage is low among Spanish podiatrists compared to other health professionals.

Liver enzyme abnormalities in taking traditional herbal medicine in Korea: A retrospective large sample cohort study of musculoskeletal disorder patients.

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Lee, Jinho; Shin, Joon-Shik; Kim, Me-Riong; Byun, Jang-Hoon; Lee, Seung-Yeol; Shin, Ye-Sle; Kim, Hyejin; Byung Park, Ki; Shin, Byung-Cheul; Lee, Myeong Soo; Ha, In-Hyuk

2015-07-01

The objective of this study is to report the incidence of liver injury from herbal medicine in musculoskeletal disease patients as large-scale studies are scarce. Considering that herbal medicine is frequently used in patients irrespective of liver function in Korea, we investigated the prevalence of liver injury by liver function test results in musculoskeletal disease patients. Of 32675 inpatients taking herbal medicine at 7 locations of a Korean medicine hospital between 2005 and 2013, we screened for liver injury in 6894 patients with liver function tests (LFTs) at admission and discharge. LFTs included t-bilirubin, AST, ALT, and ALP. Liver injury at discharge was assessed by LFT result classifications at admission (liver injury, liver function abnormality, and normal liver function). In analyses for risk factors of liver injury at discharge, we adjusted for age, sex, length of stay, conventional medicine intake, HBs antigen/antibody, and liver function at admission. A total 354 patients (prevalence 5.1%) had liver injury at admission, and 217 (3.1%) at discharge. Of the 354 patients with liver injury at admission, only 9 showed a clinically significant increase after herbal medicine intake, and 225 returned to within normal range or showed significant liver function recovery. Out of 4769 patients with normal liver function at admission, 27 (0.6%) had liver injury at discharge. In multivariate analyses for risk factors, younger age, liver function abnormality at admission, and HBs antigen positive were associated with injury at discharge. The prevalence of liver injury in patients with normal liver function taking herbal medicine for musculoskeletal disease was low, and herbal medicine did not exacerbate liver injury in most patients with injury prior to intake. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of distressing symptoms in hospitalised patients on medical wards: A cross-sectional study

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Sigurdardottir Katrin

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Many patients with advanced, serious, non-malignant disease belong to the population generally seen on medical wards. However, little research has been carried out on palliative care needs in this group. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of distressing symptoms in patients hospitalised in a Department of Internal Medicine, estimate how many of these patients might be regarded as palliative, and describe their main symptoms. Methods Cross-sectional (point prevalence study. All patients hospitalised in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Cardiology were asked to do a symptom assessment by use of the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS. Patients were defined as "palliative" if they had an advanced, serious, chronic disease with limited life expectancy and symptom relief as the main goal of treatment. Results 222 patients were registered in all. ESAS was completed for 160 patients. 79 (35.6% were defined as palliative and 43 of them completed ESAS. The patients in the palliative group were older than the rest, and reported more dyspnea (70% and a greater lack of wellbeing (70%. Other symptoms reported by this group were dry mouth (58%, fatigue (56%, depression (41%, anxiety (37%, pain at rest (30%, and pain on movement (42%. Conclusion More than one third of the patients in a Department of Internal Medicine were defined as palliative, and the majority of the patients in this palliative group reported severe symptoms. There is a need for skills in symptom control on medical wards.

Prevalence and Predictors of Herbal Medicine Use Among Adults in the United States.

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Rashrash, Mohamed; Schommer, Jon C; Brown, Lawrence M

2017-09-01

To describe the prevalence of herbal medicine use among US adults and to assess factors associated with and predictors of herbal use. The data for herbal products use were collected from the 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacists' Roles. Chi-square test was used to analyz factors associated with herbal use, and predictors of herbal use were assessed with logistic regression analysis. Factors associated with herbal supplement use include age older than 70, having a higher than high school education, using prescription medications or over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and using a mail-order pharmacy." All Disease state associated significantly with herbal use. Approximately thirty-eight percent of those who used herbals used prescription medications and 42% of those who used herbals also used an OTC medication. The most frequent conditions associated with herbal supplement use were a stroke (48.7%), cancer (43.1%), and arthritis (43.0%). Among herbal product users, factors that predicted use included having higher than school education, using OTC medications, using mail-order pharmacy, stroke, obesity, arthritis, and breathing problems. More than one-third of respondents reported using herbal supplements. Older age and higher education were associated with a higher use of herbal supplements. People with chronic diseases are more likely to use herbal medicines than others. OTC drug users and patients with stroke are more likely to use herbal medicines than others.

Prevalence and Predictors of Herbal Medicine Use Among Adults in the United States

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Schommer, Jon C; Brown, Lawrence M

2017-01-01

Objective: To describe the prevalence of herbal medicine use among US adults and to assess factors associated with and predictors of herbal use. Design: The data for herbal products use were collected from the 2015 National Consumer Survey on the Medication Experience and Pharmacists’ Roles. Chi-square test was used to analyz factors associated with herbal use, and predictors of herbal use were assessed with logistic regression analysis. Results: Factors associated with herbal supplement use include age older than 70, having a higher than high school education, using prescription medications or over-the-counter (OTC) medications, and using a mail-order pharmacy.” All Disease state associated significantly with herbal use. Approximately thirty-eight percent of those who used herbals used prescription medications and 42% of those who used herbals also used an OTC medication. The most frequent conditions associated with herbal supplement use were a stroke (48.7%), cancer (43.1%), and arthritis (43.0%). Among herbal product users, factors that predicted use included having higher than school education, using OTC medications, using mail-order pharmacy, stroke, obesity, arthritis, and breathing problems. Conclusions: More than one-third of respondents reported using herbal supplements. Older age and higher education were associated with a higher use of herbal supplements. People with chronic diseases are more likely to use herbal medicines than others. OTC drug users and patients with stroke are more likely to use herbal medicines than others. PMID:28959715

Metabolic syndrome in Internal Medicine patients: the pilot NIMEC study (National Internal Medicine Equivalent/Complex C-V-@Risk

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R. Nardi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND Metabolic Syndrome (MetS, currently defined as slight differences in the criteria of diagnosis – depending on which authority is quoted [i.e.: NCEP-ATP III (National Cholesterol Education Program/Adult Treatment Panel III; WHO (World Health Organization; IDF (International Diabetes Federation; AACE (American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists], designates a cluster of metabolic risk factors that come together in a single individual, leading to cardiovascular disease. MetS is quite common, approximately 20-30% of the population in industrialized countries being affected. However, most of epidemiological data regarding MetS are derived from populations consisting mostly of middle-aged and younger subjects. AIM OF THE STUDY To assess the prevalence of the MetS in Internal Medicine wards and to determine its related comorbidities, including other clinical forms of atherosclerotic disease such as CHD risk equivalents. METHODS Our study was performed in patients admitted in Internal Medicine wards and selected as a randomization list in 12 Emilia Romagna-Marche FADOI centers. 1.316 patients were registered. According to explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria, we studied overall 902 participants (50.6% men, mean of age: 71-73 years. RESULTS According to NCEP-ATP III and IDF criteria the prevalence of MetS was 45.3% (IC 95%: 41.6-49.1 and 38.6% (IC 95%: 34.9-42.3, respectively. Patients with MetS presented a higher significant rate of ALT increase, syncope, atrial fibrillation, COPD, unstable angina, chronic kidney disease, cancer, valvular heart disease, peripheral arterial disease and carotid plaques. A strong association between IDF-MetS and congestive heart failure was observed, suggesting a role of central obesity as an independent risk factor in the elderly. DISCUSSION World-wide populations are becoming older. Aging and MetS are two conditions that represent an important part of health-care spending. Trunkal fatness increases in

Herbal medicine use behaviour in Australian adults who experience anxiety: a descriptive study.

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McIntyre, Erica; Saliba, Anthony J; Wiener, Karl K; Sarris, Jerome

2016-02-11

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health condition in Australia. In addition, there are many people who experience problematic anxiety symptoms who do not receive an anxiety disorder diagnosis but require treatment. As herbal medicine use is popular in Australia, and little is known about how adults experiencing anxiety are using these medicines, this study aimed to identify how Australian adults who experience anxiety are using herbal medicines. An online cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using purposive convenience sampling to recruit Australian adults who have experienced anxiety symptoms and have used herbal medicines (N = 400). Descriptive statistics, chi-square test of contingency, analysis of variance, and simple logistic regression was used to analyse the data. Eighty two percent of participants experienced anxiety symptoms in the previous 12 months, with 47% reporting having previously been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. In addition, 72.8% had used herbal medicines specifically for anxiety symptoms in their lifetime, while 55.3% had used prescribed pharmaceuticals, with 27.5% having used herbal medicines concurrently with prescribed pharmaceuticals. The Internet and family and friends were the most frequently used sources of information about herbal medicines. Forty eight percent of participants did not disclose their herbal medicine use to their doctor. Herbal medicines are being used by adults with anxiety and are commonly self-prescribed for anxiety symptoms. Health practitioners who are experts in herbal medicine prescribing are consulted infrequently. In addition, herbal medicine use is often not disclosed to health practitioners. These behaviours are concerning as people may not be receiving the most suitable treatments, and their use of herbal medicines may even be dangerous. It is critical we develop a better understanding of why people are using these medicines, and how we can develop improved health literacy

Profile of diseases prevalent in a tribal locality in Jharkhand, India: A family medicine practitioner′s perspective

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Sumit Kumar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Majority of Indian population is dependent on general practitioners (GPs for medical services at primary care level in India. They are most preferred and considered to be first contact person for medical services at primary care level. But advances in medical science has put more emphasis on specialist culture and average Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS graduates who are working as general physician are gradually feeling themselves less competent because they are less exposed to latest advances in treatment of diseases. Amidst such scenario, Christian Medical College (CMC has come up with an idea: "The refer less and resolve more initiative". It has started a decentralized 2-year family medicine distance diploma course (Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine (PGDFM now accredited by Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, that trains the GPs to become family medicine specialist. Materials and Methods: As component of PGDFM course, this study was conducted to provide better understanding of prevalent ailments and common treatment provided by the GPs in the community at present giving key insight of current practice in rural area by a registered family medicine practitioner. Results: As part of study, among 500 patients evaluated, three most common diagnosis were upper respiratory infections (URIs; 18%, acute gastroenteritis including water-borne diseases (15.8%, and anemia (10.4%. Treatment given to these patients comprised of mostly of antipyretic, analgesic, and antimicrobial agents. Most common drug prescribed was paracetamol for fever. Other common drugs prescribed were amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, chloroquine, artemisin derivative, doxycycline, co-trimoxazole, miltefosine, cephalexin, ceftriaxone sodium, cefixime, oral rehydration salts, ranitidine, omeprazole, pantoprazole, metronidazole, albendazole, ondansetron, diclofenac sodium, piroxicam, ibuprofen, diphenhydramine, codeine-sulfate, amlodipine

Critical review of complementary and alternative medicine use in menopause: focus on prevalence, motivation, decision-making, and communication.

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Peng, Wenbo; Adams, Jon; Sibbritt, David W; Frawley, Jane E

2014-05-01

This study aims to undertake the first critical review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among menopausal women (a term here used to include premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal women) by focusing on the prevalence of CAM use and CAM users' characteristics, motivation, decision-making, and communication with healthcare providers. A comprehensive search of 2002-2012 international literature in the Medline, CINAHL, AMED, and SCOPUS databases was conducted. The search was confined to peer-reviewed articles published in English with abstracts and reporting new empirical research findings regarding CAM use and menopause. A considerable level of CAM use was observed among women in menopause. Many menopausal women use CAM concurrently with their conventional medicine. However, communication regarding CAM between menopausal women and healthcare providers seems less than optimal, with a demand for further information on the safety and efficacy of medicines. Existing literature is of variable methodological rigor, often presenting small sample sizes and low-quality data collection. Further rigorous research on this topic-including quantitative and qualitative methods using large national samples, where relevant-is required. The findings of this critical review provide insights for those practicing and managing health care in this area of women's health. Healthcare providers should prepare to inform menopausal women about all treatment options, including CAM, and should be aware of the possible adverse effects of CAM and potential interactions between CAM and conventional medicine among women in menopause who are under their care.

Prevalence and relationship between major depressive disorder and lung cancer: a cross-sectional study

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Maneeton B

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Benchalak Maneeton,1 Narong Maneeton,1 Jirayu Reungyos,1 Suthi Intaprasert,1 Samornsri Leelarphat,1 Sumitra Thongprasert21Department of Psychiatry, 2Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, ThailandObjective: The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence and examine the factors associated with major depressive disorder (MDD in lung cancer patients.Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the oncology clinic of the University Hospital, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. Patients with all stages of lung cancer were included in this study. Demographic data of eligible patients were gathered. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Thai version 5.0.0 was used to identify MDD. The Thai version of the Personal Health Questionnaire Depression Scale was used to assess depression severity.Results: A total of 146 lung cancer patients from the outpatient clinic from July to December 2012 were approached. The 104 patients were included and analyzed in this study. Based on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, 14.4% of them were defined as having MDD. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that Chalder Fatigue Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – Lung, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were significantly correlated with MDD in lung cancer patients.Conclusion: The results suggest that MDD is more prevalent in lung cancer patients. In addition, fatigue, poor quality of life, and sleep disturbance may increase associated MDD. Because of the small sample size, further studies should be conducted to confirm these results.Keywords: lung cancer, major depressive disorder, prevalence

PREVALENCE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DURING PREGNANCY ...

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drclement

*Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Delta State University,. Abraka, Delta State ... cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence, .... and emotionally attached to cultural- associated .... Chinese community.

Prevalence and likelihood ratio of symptoms in patients with good therapeutic response to Lycopodium clavatum. A retrospective study.

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Eizayaga, José Enrique; Pozzi, María Isabel; Canan, María Clara; Saravia, Laura

2016-02-01

Assessment of the likelihood ratio (LR) of symptoms has been proposed as a rational means for detecting indicators to homeopathic medicines. To investigate the prevalence and LR of symptoms commonly attributed to the homeopathic medicine Lycopodium clavatum (Lyc). Secondarily, to answer the question if experienced homeopaths could intuitively infer which the main symptoms of this medicine are. The presence of 35 selected symptoms, prescribed medicines and therapeutic response were assessed retrospectively. The symptoms' prevalence in the Lyc responding population and the LR of the symptoms compared to their prevalence in the remainder of the population were calculated. Two hundred and two Lyc and 550 non Lyc cases (total 752) were included for analysis. Twenty-two symptoms were confirmed as pertaining to Lyc's semiology (prevalence %; LR): contemptuous (3.3; 6.7), urinary stones history (2.7; 5.4), egotism (5.6; 3.6), dictatorial (33.3; 3.4), haughty (8.7; 3.3), sleeps on abdomen (3.3; 3.3), intolerance to clothing in abdomen (12.0; 3.1), reproaches (4.0; 3.0), helplessness (24.0; 2.7), fear of failure (10.7; 2.6), irritability on waking in the morning (16.7; 2.5), constipation alternating with diarrhea (8.7; 2.5), intolerant to contradiction (59.3; 2.3), want of self confidence (30.0; 2.4), abdominal distension after eating (23.3; 2.1); ailments from anticipation (32.0; 1.9), irritability before menses (23.3; 1.8), conscientious (26.0; 1.6), desire of sweets (52.0; 1.6), desire of chocolate (16.7; 1.6), lack of vital heat (41.3; 1.3), and flatterer (1.3; ∞). Surveyed homeopaths' intuitive inferences correlated well with symptoms' prevalence but not with their LR. Lycopodium's main symptoms are well known by homeopaths, but their knowledge correlates well with the symptoms' prevalence and not with their LR. Retrospective assessment of prevalence and LR of symptoms in good responders might be a means for better selection of symptoms for prospective studies

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by 7427 Australian women with cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort: a cross-sectional study.

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Fisher, Carole; Adams, Jon; Hickman, Louise; Sibbritt, David

2016-05-18

To assess the prevalence of cyclic perimenstrual pain and discomfort and to detail the pattern of complementary and alternative (CAM) use adopted by women for the treatment of these symptoms. Data from the 2012 national Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH) cross-sectional survey of 7427 women aged 34-39 years were analysed to estimate the prevalence of endometriosis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), irregular or heavy periods and severe dysmenorrhoea and to examine the association between their symptoms and their visits to CAM practitioners as well as their use of CAM therapies and products in the previous 12 months. The prevalence of endometriosis was 3.7 % and of the perimenstrual symptoms assessed, PMS was most prevalent at 41.2 % whilst irregular bleeding (22.2 %), heavy periods (29.8 %) and severe period pain (24.1 %) were reported at lower levels. Women with endometriosis were more likely than non-sufferers to have consulted with a massage therapist or acupuncturist and to have used vitamins/minerals, yoga/meditation or Chinese medicines (p alternative health practitioner and to have used all forms of CAM therapies except Chinese medicines than women who had infrequent PMS (all p medicines, Chinese medicines and other alternative therapies compared to non-sufferers (all p effective use and to ascertain their significance as a treatment option enabling women with menstrual problems and their care providers to improve their quality of life.

Complementary and Alternative Medicines: Usage and Its Determinant Factors Among Outpatients in Southeast of Iran.

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Ghaedi, Fateme; Dehghan, Mahlagha; Salari, Masoumeh; Sheikhrabori, Akbar

2015-12-13

Prevalence of complementary and alternative medicines is increasing specially in patients with chronic diseases. Therefore, based on the high prevalence of chronic disorders, the present study aimed to determine complementary and alternative medicine usage frequency and its determinant factors. This was a cross-sectional study. Five hundred clients participated in the study by using convenience sampling. A 2-part questionnaire (including demographic form and researcher-created questionnaire) was used for studying the prevalence of using complementary and alternative medicine methods, and users' satisfaction. Findings showed that 75.4% of people used at least one complementary and alternative medicine method. Most of users consumed medicinal plants (69.4%). The most common reason of using a complementary and alternative medicine method was common cold (32.9%). The highest satisfaction belonged to massage (2.94 ± 0.74). The usage of complementary and alternative medicine was 3.22 times higher in people with academic educations when compared with illiterate people. Concerning the high usage of complementary and alternative medicine, it is necessary to train specialists in this field in order to offer such treatments in a safe manner. Also, outcomes of application of complementary and alternative medicine methods should be studied. © The Author(s) 2015.

Economic importance and GIS mapping of medicinal plants in Iran ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study identified the economic importance of medicinal plants and evaluated with Geographical Information System (GIS) tool to develop spatial maps covering medicinal plants prevalent in Darkesh area, Northern Khorasan, Iran. Then provide the coordinates of the identified area as your results. 10 medicinal plants ...

Prevalence and Predictors of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use among Ivy League College Students: Implications for Student Health Services

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Versnik Nowak, Amy L.; DeGise, Joe; Daugherty, Amanda; O'Keefe, Richard; Seward, Samuel, Jr.; Setty, Suma; Tang, Fanny

2015-01-01

Objective: Determine prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies used and test the significance of demographics and social cognitive constructs as predictors of CAM use in a college sample. Secondary purpose was to guide the integration of CAM therapies into college health services. Participants: Random,…

Racial and Ethnic Profiles of Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Young Adults in the United States: Findings From the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

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Upchurch, Dawn M; Wexler Rainisch, Bethany K

2012-10-01

This study describes complementary and alternative medicine use among a national sample of young adults, with an emphasis on characterizing racial and ethnic differences, highlighting variation across subgroups of Hispanics. The authors examined young adults ages 18 to 27 years (n = 14 128) from wave III (2001-2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Prevalence estimates and logistic regression results were weighted and adjusted for complex sample design. The study examined recent complementary and alternative medicine use in the past 12 months, recent use for each of 15 specific complementary and alternative medicine modalities, and the 5 most commonly used modalities (herbs, massage, chiropractic, relaxation, and vitamins). Results showed that 29% of young adults aged 18 to 27 years recently used complementary and alternative medicine. Prevalence was highest among Cuban Americans (42%) and lowest among blacks (22%). Young adults used a diversity of complementary and alternative medicine modalities and there were substantial differences in use across racial and ethnic groups.

The prevalence, patterns of usage and people's attitude towards complementary and alternative medicine (CAM among the Indian community in Chatsworth, South Africa

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Raidoo Deshandra M

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to determine, among the Indian community of Chatsworth, South Africa, the prevalence and utilisation patterns of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM, attitudes associated with CAM use and communication patterns of CAM users with their primary care doctors. Methods Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted in Chatsworth, a suburb of Durban in which South Africans of Indian origin predominantly reside. Participants were 200 randomly selected adult English-speaking Indian residents. Results The prevalence of CAM usage for period 2000/2001 was 38.5% (95% confidence interval 31.7% to 45.6%. Spiritual healing and herbal/natural medicines, including vitamins were the most common types of CAM used, accounting for 42.8% and 48.1% respectively of overall CAM usage. People used CAM to treat conditions including diabetes mellitus, headaches, arthritis and joint pains, stress, skin disorders, backaches, hypertension and nasal disorders. Half of the CAM users used allopathic medicines concurrently. The cost of CAM utilization over this 1-year period, incurred by 80.5% of users for the duration of therapy for their most troublesome condition was below R500 (approximately US$50. Age, sex, marital status, religion, level of education and income were shown not to influence the use of CAM. Greater than half (51.9% of CAM users did so either upon the advice of someone they knew, or after noticing a CAM advertisement in the local press. Seventy-nine percent of CAM users indicated that they had positive outcomes with their treatments. Fifty four percent of CAM users (excluding those using spiritual healing only failed to inform their doctors that they used CAM. The main reason given by half of this group was that informing their doctors did not seem necessary. Conclusion The prevalence of CAM in Chatsworth is similar to findings in other parts of the world. Although CAM was used to treat many different

Use of traditional medicine among type 2 diabetic Libyans.

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Ashur, Sana Taher; Shah, Shamsul Azhar; Bosseri, Soad; Shamsuddin, Khadijah

2017-07-16

The use of traditional medicines is common among patients with chronic illnesses and this practice might pose health risks. The use among Libyan patients with diabetes is unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of traditional medicine use in the previous year among Libyans with type 2 diabetes and to examine the association between its use and sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a large diabetes centre in Tripoli. A self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection. Of the 523 respondents, 28.9% used traditional remedies. Sex was the only variable significantly associated with traditional medicine use; more women used traditional medicines (P = 0.01). A total of 77 traditional medicine items were reported to be used, of which herbs were the most common. The use of traditional medicine for diabetes is prevalent and some of the reported items could pose health risks. Health education programmes are suggested to raise the awareness of the health risks of this practice.

Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Herbal Remedy Use in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women: Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

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Green, Robin R; Santoro, Nanette; Allshouse, Amanda A; Neal-Perry, Genevieve; Derby, Carol

2017-10-01

To investigate the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use, including botanical/herbal remedies, among Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), New Jersey site. We also examined whether attitudes toward CAM and communication of its use to providers differed for Hispanic and non-Hispanic women. SWAN is a community-based, multiethnic cohort study of midlife women. At the 13th SWAN follow-up, women at the New Jersey site completed both a general CAM questionnaire and a culturally sensitive CAM questionnaire designed to capture herbal products commonly used in Hispanic/Latina communities. Prevalence of and attitudes toward CAM use were compared by race/ethnicity and demographic characteristics. Among 171 women (average age 61.8 years), the overall prevalence of herbal remedy use was high in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women (88.8% Hispanic and 81.3% non-Hispanic white), and prayer and herbal teas were the most common modalities used. Women reported the use of multiple herbal modalities (mean 6.6 for Hispanic and 4.0 for non-Hispanic white women; p = 0.001). Hispanic women were less likely to consider herbal treatment drugs (16% vs. 37.5%; p = 0.005) and were less likely to report sharing the use of herbal remedies with their doctors (14.4% Hispanic vs. 34% non-Hispanic white; p = 0.001). The number of modalities used was similar regardless of the number of prescription medications used. High prevalence of herbal CAM use was observed for both Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women. Results highlight the need for healthcare providers to query women regarding CAM use to identify potential interactions with traditional treatments and to determine whether CAM is used in lieu of traditional medications.

A critical review of complementary and alternative medicine use among people with arthritis: a focus upon prevalence, cost, user profiles, motivation, decision-making, perceived benefits and communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Lu; Sibbritt, David; Adams, Jon

2017-03-01

A critical review of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among people with arthritis was conducted focusing upon prevalence and profile of CAM users as well as their motivation, decision-making, perceived benefits and communication with healthcare providers. A comprehensive search of peer-reviewed literature published from 2008 to 2015 was undertaken via CINAHL, Medline and AMED databases. The initial search identified 4331 articles, of which 49 articles met selection criteria. The review shows a high prevalence of CAM use (often multiple types and concurrent to conventional medical care) among those with arthritis which is not restricted to any particular geographic or social-economic status. A large proportion of arthritis sufferers using CAM consider these medicines to be somewhat or very effective but almost half do not inform their healthcare provider about their CAM use. It is suggested that rheumatologists and others providing health care for patients with arthritis should be cognizant of the high prevalence of CAM use and the challenges associated with possible concurrent use of CAM and conventional medicine among their patients.

Comparison of two alternative study designs in assessment of medicines utilisation in neonates.

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Nellis, Georgi; Lutsar, Irja; Varendi, Heili; Toompere, Karolin; Turner, Mark A; Duncan, Jennifer; Metsvaht, Tuuli

2014-07-16

Estimates of prevalence are known to be affected by the design of cross-sectional studies. A pan-European study provided an opportunity to compare the effect of two cross-sectional study designs on estimates of medicines use. A Service evaluation survey (SES) and a web-based point-prevalence study (PPS) were conducted as part of a European study of neonatal exposure to excipients. Neonatal units from all European Union countries plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Serbia were invited to participate. All medicines prescribed to neonates were recorded during three-day and one-day study periods in the SES and PPS, respectively. In the PPS individual demographic and prescription data were also collected.To compare the probabilities that a particular medicine would be reported by each study multilevel mixed effects logistic regression models with crossed random effects were applied. The relationship between medicines exposure at the unit and individual levels in the PPS data was assessed using polynomial regression with square root transformation. Of 31 invited countries 20 and 21 with 115 and 89 units joined the SES and PPS, respectively. Out of 5,572,859 live births in invited countries in 2010 a higher proportion was covered by units participating in the SES compared to the PPS (11% vs 6%, respectively; OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.87-1.89). A greater number of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), manufacturers and trade names were registered in the SES compared to the PPS. High correlation between the two studies in frequency of use for each specified API was seen (R2 = 0.86). The average probability of a department to use a given API was greater in the SES compared to the PPS (OR 2.36; 95% CI 2.05-2.73) with higher frequency of use and longer average duration of prescription further increasing the difference. The polynomial regression model described the correlation between APIs exposure on unit and individual level well (R2 = 0.93). The simple data structure and longer

Use of Traditional Botanical Medicines During Pregnancy in Rural Rwanda.

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Beste, Jason; Asanti, Daniel; Nsabimana, Damien; Anastos, Kathryn; Mutimura, Eugene; Merkatz, Irwin; Sirotin, Nicole; Nathan, Lisa M

To evaluate the perceptions of healthcare and traditional medicine providers regarding the type, indications, side effects, and prevalence of traditional medicine use amongst pregnant women in a rural Rwandan population. Six focus groups with physicians, nurses, and community health workers and four individual in-depth interviews with traditional medicine providers were held. Qualitative data was gathered using a structured questionnaire querying perceptions of the type, indications, side effects, and prevalence of use of traditional medicines in pregnancy. The healthcare provider groups perceived a high prevalence of traditional botanical medicine use by pregnant women (50-80%). All three groups reported similar indications for use of the medicines and the socioeconomic status of the pregnant women who use them. The traditional medicine providers and the healthcare providers both perceived that the most commonly used medicine is a mixture of many plants, called Inkuri. The most serious side effect reported was abnormally bright green meconium with a poor neonatal respiratory drive. Thirty-five traditional medicines were identified that are used during pregnancy. Perceptions of high prevalence of use of traditional medicines during pregnancy with possible negative perinatal outcomes exist in areas of rural Rwanda.

Prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine use among people with coronary heart disease or at risk for this in the sixth Tromsø study: a comparative analysis using protection motivation theory.

OpenAIRE

Kristoffersen, Agnete Egilsdatter; Sirois, Fuschia; Stub, Trine; Hansen, Anne Helen

2017-01-01

Source at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1817-x Background: Engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as healthy diet and regular physical activity, are known to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD). Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is known to be associated with having a healthy lifestyle. The primary aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and predictors of CAM use in CHD patients, and in those without CHD but at risk for developing C...

Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) among Study Population with Cardiovascular Risk; use and Substitution for Conventional Medicine in Pahang, Malaysia.

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Kew, Y; Chia, Y L; Lai, S M; Chong, K Y; Ho, X L; Liew, D W; Moy, F M; Selvarajah, S

2015-04-01

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of morbidity and mortality in Malaysia. There is evidence of high traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) use among population with cardiovascular risk and there have been anecdotal reports about substitution of conventional medicines with TCM. We investigated the prevalence of TCM use, treatment preference and substitution of conventional medicines in study population with cardiovascular risk factors in Pahang, Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an interviewer-administered questionnaire in five districts of Pahang. A total of 1250 households were chosen through proportionate and systematic sampling. Respondents aged 18 years and above were selected. The study population with cardiovascular risk factors who used TCM was higher than the general population (31.7% versus 25.9%). There were no clear preferences in using TCM by gender, age groups, educational level and income even though other bumiputeras showed a slight inclination towards TCM use. Among the study population with cardiovascular risk factors who consumed TCM, 20-30% of them were using TCM as a substitute for their conventional medications. Respondents from the younger age group (18-40 years) (57.1%), highest educational level (43.2%), other bumiputeras (38.4%) and highest income group (31.4%) preferred the combination of both conventional and traditional medicine. TCM use among population with cardiovascular risk factors is high. The high preference for combination therapy of TCM and conventional medications among young adults and the use of TCM to substitute conventional medications show that much research is needed to provide proven TCM therapies to avoid self-mismanagement of cardiovascular risk in Malaysia.

Prevalence of and factors associated with utilization of herbal medicines among outpatients in primary health centers in Cambodia.

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Pearson, Hattie; Fleming, Tyler; Chhoun, Pheak; Tuot, Sovannary; Brody, Carinne; Yi, Siyan

2018-04-02

Traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) is seen as a way to provide healthcare in both developed and developing countries across the world. In Cambodia, there is a long tradition of using TCAM. However, scant studies have been conducted on the extent of Cambodian TCAM use and how it interacts with allopathic health care to date. In this study, we examined the prevalence of and factors associated with utilization of herbal medicines among patients with chronic diseases in primary health care settings in Cambodia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2015 with outpatients receiving treatment and care for chronic diseases in two urban and two rural primary health centers purposively selected from Phnom Penh, Kampong Cham and Siem Reap. Every eligible patient was randomly selected at the health centers using a systematic sampling procedure. I-CAM-Q was used to measure TCAM use. A multivariate logistic regression model was constructed to identify factors associated with herbal medicine use. In total, 1602 patients were included in this study, of whom 77.7% were female, and 51.2% were recruited from urban primary health centers with a mean age of 46.5 years (SD = 15.2). Of total, 27.0% reported at least one consultation with a TCAM provider in the past 12 months. The most common modality of TCAM used was herbal medicine (89%). Herbs were obtained at drug or folk stores (36.9%), from herbalists directly (28.5%) or from their own gardens (18.6%). Of herb users, 55.2% reported that herbs were somewhat helpful. After adjustment, herb users were significantly more likely to be female (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.12-2.67), have completed less schooling (AOR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.45-0.96), were unemployed or homemakers (AOR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.13-0.52) and have a gastrointestinal illness (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.39-0.62). Herbal medicines are broadly used among chronic disease patients in Cambodia. Understanding TCAM use in

Inpatient glycemic management in internal medicine: an observational multicenter study in Nanjing, China.

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Hao, Shujie; Zhang, Ning; Fish, Anne Folta; Yuan, Xiaodan; Liu, Lin; Li, Fan; Fang, Zhaohui; Lou, Qingqing

2017-08-01

To evaluate the prevalence of hyperglycemia among inpatients in internal medicine, and specifically, to assess the glycemic management of inpatients in non-endocrinology departments in three large urban hospitals in China. A multicenter observational study was conducted using electronic health records, and a survey of 1939 patients who were admitted to internal medicine units and followed until discharge. Those with previously diagnosed diabetes, newly diagnosed diabetes, or impaired fasting glucose were included. Aspects of glycemic management examined were (a) hyperglycemia, (b) endocrinology consultation for hyperglycemia and (c) hypoglycemia. The prevalence of hyperglycemia in internal medicine was 45.7% (886 out of 1939). A total of 741 (83.6%) patients were treated by non-endocrinology departments; of those, 230 (31.1%) were in poor glycemic control and needed an endocrinology consultation. Yet only 57 (24.8%) received one. In 4 cases, the physician did not follow the consultants' advice. Among the remaining 53 consulted patients, 35 (66.1%) were still in poor glycemic control, yet only about half received a second consultation. Finally, among patients treated in non-endocrinology departments, 58 (7.8%) had hypoglycemia; less than half retested their blood glucose after treatment. The majority of patients with hyperglycemia were in non-endocrinology departments. Their glycemic management was poor; the endocrinology consultation rate was low and the result was suboptimal. Also, the management of hypoglycemia was not ideal. Therefore, improving glycemic management is urgently needed in Chinese hospitals.

Prevalence and predictors of complementary and alternative medicine/non-pharmacological interventions use for menopausal symptoms within the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gentry-Maharaj, A; Karpinskyj, C; Glazer, C

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: The negative publicity about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has led to increased use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) for menopausal symptom relief. We report on the prevalence and predictors of CAM/NPI among UK postmenopau......OBJECTIVES: The negative publicity about menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) has led to increased use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) and non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) for menopausal symptom relief. We report on the prevalence and predictors of CAM/NPI among UK...... for herbal therapies (43.8%; 9725/22 206), vitamins (42.6%; 9458/22 206), lifestyle approaches (32.1%; 7137/22 206) and phytoestrogens (21.6%; 4802/22 206). Older women reported less ever-use of herbal therapies, vitamins and phytoestrogens. Lifestyle approaches, aromatherapy...

Prevalence, incidence burden, and clinical impact of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance: a national prevalent cohort study in acute care hospitals in Greece

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Kritsotakis EI

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Evangelos I Kritsotakis,1 Flora Kontopidou,2 Eirini Astrinaki,3 Maria Roumbelaki,4 Eleni Ioannidou,5 Achilles Gikas6 1School of Health and Related Research, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; 2Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance Office, Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Athens, 3Infection Control Committee, University Hospital of Heraklion, 4Department of Nursing, Technological Educational Institute of Crete, Heraklion, 5Department of Internal Medicine, Rethymnon General Hospital, Rethymnon, 6Department of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital of Heraklion, Heraklion, Greece Background: Assessing the overall burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs is challenging, but imperative in evaluating the cost-effectiveness of infection control programs. This study aimed to estimate the point prevalence and annual incidence of HAIs in Greece and assess the excess length of stay (LOS and mortality attributable to HAIs, overall and for main infection sites and tracer antimicrobial resistance (AMR phenotypes and pathogens.Patients and methods: This prevalent cohort study used a nationally representative cross-section of 8,247 inpatients in 37 acute care hospitals to record active HAIs of all types at baseline and overall LOS and in-hospital mortality up to 90 days following hospital admission. HAI incidence was estimated using prevalence-to-incidence conversion methods. Excess mortality and LOS were assessed by Cox regression and multistate models correcting for confounding and time-dependent biases.Results: HAIs were encountered with daily prevalence of 9.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.8%–10.6%. The estimated annual HAI incidence was 5.2% (95% CI 4.4%–5.3%, corresponding to approximately 121,000 (95% CI 103,500–123,700 affected patients each year in the country. Ninety-day mortality risk was increased by 80% in patients

A School-Based Study of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Medical Students in Beijing, China: Prevalence and Some Related Factors

OpenAIRE

Liu, Yang; Liu, Liang; Yang, Yi; He, Yuxi; Zhang, Yanli; Wang, Miao; Chen, Shuo; Yao, Shukun

2014-01-01

Purpose. To investigate the prevalence and some related factors about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in medical students. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2014 to Jun 2014 in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. All participants were asked to completed self-administered questionnaires. Results. Seven hundred and sixty-seven medical students (23.26 ± 2.88 years, 25.6% males) completed the survey. The prevalence of IBS was 33.3%, with a high prev...

The treatment of patients with medically unexplained physical symptoms in China: a study comparing expectations and treatment satisfaction in psychosomatic medicine, biomedicine, and traditional Chinese medicine.

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Fritzsche, Kurt; Xudong, Zhao; Anselm, Kathrin; Kern, Stephanie; Wirsching, Michael; Schaefert, Rainer

2011-01-01

Little is known about treatment for patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) in China. This study investigates the treatment expectations and treatment satisfaction of patients with MUS in psychosomatic medicine, biomedicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). In a cross-sectional survey, n = 96 (10.3%) out of 931 participating patients were screened positive for multiple somatoform symptoms. These patients answered questionnaires concerning symptom duration, number of doctor visits, functional impairment, emotional distress, treatment expectations, treatment satisfaction, and empathy in the consultation. The physicians filled in a questionnaire about applied or recommended treatment. Most of the patients from psychosomatic medicine wanted psychotherapy. In TCM, 55% of the patients had already received TCM treatment and most of them wanted to continue TCM treatment. Patients in biomedicine did not express clear expectations; most of them had had no previous treatment. A combination of treatment methods was most prevalent in biomedicine in comparison to psychosomatic medicine and TCM. The outcome from the patients' point of view was significantly better in TCM than in psychosomatic medicine and biomedicine. Psychosomatic medicine's strength was the empathetic physician-patient interaction. From a biopsychosocial perspective, these results suggest that various treatment approaches with various emphases can be effective depending on the patient's complaints, his illness beliefs, and what the physician offers. The results will be verified in a larger multicenter longitudinal study.

Use of herbal medicinal products among children and adolescents in Germany

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Germany is a country with a high use of herbal medicinal products. Population-based data on the use of herbal medicinal products among children are lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence, patterns and determinants of herbal medicine use among children and adolescents in Germany. Methods As data base served the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), a representative population based survey conducted 2003–2006 by the Robert Koch Institute. 17,450 boys and girls aged 0–17 years provided information on drug use in the preceding seven days. Herbal medicinal products were defined according to the European and German drug laws. SPSS Complex Sample method was used to estimate prevalence rates and factors associated with herbal medicine use. Results The prevalence rate of herbal medicinal product use amounts to 5.8% (95% confidence interval 5.3-6.3%). Use of herbal medicine declines along with increasing age and shows no difference between boys and girls in younger age groups. Teenage girls are more likely to use herbal medicines than teenage boys. Two thirds of herbal medicines are used for the treatment of coughs and colds; nearly half of herbal medicines are prescribed by medical doctors. Determinants of herbal medicinal product use are younger age, residing in South Germany, having a poor health status, having no immigration background and coming from a higher social class family. Children’s and parents-related health behavior is not found to be associated with herbal medicine use after adjusting for social class. Conclusions Use of herbal medicinal products among children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 17 years in Germany is widely spread and shows relatively higher rates compared to international data. This study provides a reference on the use of herbal medicinal products for policy-makers, health professionals and parents. Further studies are needed to investigate the

Characteristics of qualitative studies in influential journals of general medicine: a critical review.

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Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Slingsby, Brian Taylor; Takahashi, Miyako; Hayashi, Yoko; Sugimori, Hiroki; Nakayama, Takeo

2009-12-01

Although qualitative studies have increased since the 1990s, some reports note that relatively few influential journals published them up until 2000. This study critically reviewed the characteristics of qualitative studies published in top tier medical journals since 2000. We assessed full texts of qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2004 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. We found 80 qualitative studies, of which 73 (91%) were published in BMJ. Only 10 studies (13%) combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Sixty-two studies (78%) used only one method of data collection. Interviews dominated the choice of data collection. The median sample size was 36 (range: 9-383). Thirty-three studies (41%) did not specify the type of analysis used but rather described the analytic process in detail. The rest indicated the mode of data analysis, in which the most prevalent methods were the constant comparative method (23%) and the grounded theory approach (22%). Qualitative data analysis software was used by 33 studies (41%). Among influential journals of general medicine, only BMJ consistently published an average of 15 qualitative study reports between 2000 and 2004. These findings lend insight into what qualities and characteristics make a qualitative study worthy of consideration to be published in an influential journal, primarily BMJ.

Nuclear medicine technology study guide

CERN Document Server

Patel, Dee

2011-01-01

Nuclear Medicine Technology Study Guide presents a comprehensive review of nuclear medicine principles and concepts necessary for technologists to pass board examinations. The practice questions and content follow the guidelines of the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) and American Registry of Radiological Technologists (ARRT), allowing test takers to maximize their success in passing the examinations. The book is organized by sections of increasing difficulty, with over 600 multiple-choice questions covering all areas of nuclear medicine, including radiation safety; radi

Prevalence, predictors, and perceived effectiveness of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine in adult-onset primary dystonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, Brandy M; Schwab, Emiko L; Nouer, Simonne S; Wan, Jim Y; LeDoux, Mark S

2012-09-01

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) use is on the rise in both the US and Europe, despite questions about its safety and effectiveness, and lack of national standards. We aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of CAM and integrative medicine use (CAM-I) and perceived effectiveness compared to the standard treatment of botulinum toxin injections in patients with adult-onset primary dystonia. This was a retrospective questionnaire study of 389 dystonia patients examining the effects age, gender, education level and number of affected anatomical regions on botulinum toxin and CAM-I use and their perceived effectiveness. 53% (208) of patients reported CAM-I use, while 90% (349) used the standard treatment (botulinum toxin), and 48% used both. Education was the only significant predictor of CAM-I use - individuals with bachelor's degrees were more likely to try CAM-I whereas those with high school diplomas were less likely. The mean effectiveness rate for botulinum toxin injections (59%) significantly exceeded that for CAM-I (28%, p effectiveness and expense of CAM-I treatments for dystonia and other neurological disorders given that CAM-I use is steadily increasing, there is great variability in what is classified as CAM-I, and the effectiveness of some modalities may be significantly less than conventional medical treatments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Herbal and Alternative Medicine Use in Tanzanian Adults Admitted with Hypertension-Related Diseases: A Mixed-Methods Study

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Roediger, Rebecca; Jaka, Hyasinta; Bougaila, Amina; Smart, Luke; Langwick, Stacey

2017-01-01

Background Hypertension is increasingly common in sub-Saharan Africa where traditional medicine use is also common. We conducted a hospital-based, mixed-methods study to determine prevalence, pattern, and correlates of herbal and alternative medicine use in Tanzanian adults hospitalized with hypertension. Methods A standardized questionnaire was administered. In-depth interviews were performed on a subset of participants. Factors associated with herbal medicine use were determined by logistic regression. The association between traditional medicine uses and allopathic medication adherence was determined using ordinal logistic regression. Qualitative data were analyzed according to grounded theory. Results Of 213 adults enrolled, 52 (24.4%) reported using herbs during the previous month and 47 (22.1%) reported concurrent use of herbs and allopathic medicines. Lower educational level, nonprofessional employment, and lack of health insurance were significantly associated with herbal medicine use. Alternative medicines use was not associated with lower medication adherence. Qualitative interviews identified several important themes including reasons for herbal medicine use. Conclusion The use of traditional medicines is very common among patients with hypertension. Adults from low socioeconomic status, those with misunderstandings about hypertension, and those without health insurance were more likely to take herbs. Open, nonjudgmental communication between healthcare workers and patients regarding use of traditional medicines must be encouraged in Africa. PMID:28634545

Herbal and Alternative Medicine Use in Tanzanian Adults Admitted with Hypertension-Related Diseases: A Mixed-Methods Study

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Anthony Liwa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Hypertension is increasingly common in sub-Saharan Africa where traditional medicine use is also common. We conducted a hospital-based, mixed-methods study to determine prevalence, pattern, and correlates of herbal and alternative medicine use in Tanzanian adults hospitalized with hypertension. Methods. A standardized questionnaire was administered. In-depth interviews were performed on a subset of participants. Factors associated with herbal medicine use were determined by logistic regression. The association between traditional medicine uses and allopathic medication adherence was determined using ordinal logistic regression. Qualitative data were analyzed according to grounded theory. Results. Of 213 adults enrolled, 52 (24.4% reported using herbs during the previous month and 47 (22.1% reported concurrent use of herbs and allopathic medicines. Lower educational level, nonprofessional employment, and lack of health insurance were significantly associated with herbal medicine use. Alternative medicines use was not associated with lower medication adherence. Qualitative interviews identified several important themes including reasons for herbal medicine use. Conclusion. The use of traditional medicines is very common among patients with hypertension. Adults from low socioeconomic status, those with misunderstandings about hypertension, and those without health insurance were more likely to take herbs. Open, nonjudgmental communication between healthcare workers and patients regarding use of traditional medicines must be encouraged in Africa.

Potential risks associated with traditional herbal medicine use in cancer care: A study of Middle Eastern oncology health care professionals.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Arye, Eran; Samuels, Noah; Goldstein, Lee Hilary; Mutafoglu, Kamer; Omran, Suha; Schiff, Elad; Charalambous, Haris; Dweikat, Tahani; Ghrayeb, Ibtisam; Bar-Sela, Gil; Turker, Ibrahim; Hassan, Azza; Hassan, Esmat; Saad, Bashar; Nimri, Omar; Kebudi, Rejin; Silbermann, Michael

2016-02-15

The authors assessed the use of herbal medicine by Middle Eastern patients with cancer, as reported by their oncology health care professionals (HCPs). Herbal products identified by the study HCPs were evaluated for potential negative effects. Oncology HCPs from 16 Middle Eastern countries received a 17-item questionnaire asking them to list 5 herbal products in use by their patients with cancer. A literature search (PubMed, Micromedex, AltMedDex, and the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database) was conducted to identify safety-related concerns associated with the products listed. A total of 339 HCPs completed the study questionnaire (response rate of 80.3%), identifying 44 herbal and 3 nonherbal nutritional supplements. Safety-related concerns were associated with 29 products, including herb-drug interactions with altered pharmacodynamics (15 herbs), direct toxic effects (18 herbs), and increased in vitro response of cancer cells to chemotherapy (7 herbs). Herbal medicine use, which is prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, has several potentially negative effects that include direct toxic effects, negative interactions with anticancer drugs, and increased chemosensitivity of cancer cells, requiring a reduction in dose-density. Oncology HCPs working in countries in which herbal medicine use is prevalent need to better understand the implications of this practice. The presence of integrative physicians with training in complementary and traditional medicine can help patients and their HCPs reach an informed decision regarding the safety and effective use of these products. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Saudi Arabia: A Community-Based Study.

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Alkhunizan, Muath; Alkhenizan, Abdullah; Basudan, Loay

2018-01-01

The age of the population in Saudi Arabia is shifting toward elderly, which can lead to an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment (MCI and dementia) among elderly patients in a community-based setting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In this cross-sectional study, we included patients aged 60 years and above who were seen in the Family Medicine Clinics affiliated with King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. Patients with delirium, active depression, and patients with a history of severe head trauma in the past 3 months were excluded. Patients were interviewed during their regular visit by a trained physician to collect demographic data and to administer the validated Arabic version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test. One hundred seventy-one Saudi patients were recruited based on a calculated sample size for the aim of this study. The mean age of included sample was 67 ± 6 years. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 45%. The prevalence of MCI was 38.6% and the prevalence of dementia was 6.4%. Age, low level of education, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease were risk factors for cognitive impairment. Prevalence of MCI and dementia in Saudi Arabia using MoCA were in the upper range compared to developed and developing countries. The high rate of risk factors for cognitive impairment in Saudi Arabia is contributing to this finding.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence in Lebanon: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waked M

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Mirna Waked1, George Khayat2, Pascale Salameh31Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon; 2Faculty of Medicine, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon; 3Faculties of Pharmacy and Public Health, Lebanese University, Beirut, LebanonBackground: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD continues to increase worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of COPD in Lebanese adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out using a multistage cluster sample from all over Lebanon. Residents aged 40 years and over were enrolled. Subjects underwent baseline spirometry and answered a questionnaire. After an albuterol + ipratropium bromide bronchodilator, a posttest was performed.Results: Of 2201 individuals, only 33.3% had never smoked. The prevalence of COPD by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease definition, was 9.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.5%–10.9%. According to the 5% lower limit of normal definition of COPD, the prevalence was 12.5% (95% CI: 11.2%–13.9%. A total of 20.2% were already diagnosed by a physician. No differences in symptoms across stages of COPD were found, but there was a significant trend for a higher number of visits to the emergency room and to the doctor (P < 0.001, and a higher number of hospitalizations (P < 0.001. Older individuals had an increased risk of COPD (adjusted odds ratio [ORa] = 1.05; so did “ever” cigarette smokers (ORa = 4.88 and water-pipe smokers (ORa = 2.53.Conclusion: This is the first epidemiological study in Lebanon that determined COPD prevalence and the link with water-pipe smoking.Keywords: COPD, prevalence, water-pipe smoking

Self-reported recurrent pain and medicine use behaviours among 15-year olds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gobina, I; Villberg, J; Villerusa, A

2015-01-01

-old adolescents internationally; (2) to investigate the association between recurrent pain and medicine use behaviours among boys and girls; and (3) to evaluate the consistency of these associations across countries. METHODS: The World Health Organization (WHO) collaborative international Health Behaviour......BACKGROUND: There is considerable variation in adolescent pain prevalence across epidemiological studies, with limited information on pain-related behaviours among adolescents, including medicine use. The aims of this study were (1) to examine the prevalence of recurrent pain among 15-year...... in School-aged Children 2009/2010 study collects data about self-reported aches and medicine use from 36,762 15-year-old adolescents from 22 countries/regions in Europe and the United States. Multi-level multivariate logistic regression, stratified by gender, was used to analyse the association between...

Popularity and customer preferences for over-the-counter Chinese medicines perceived by community pharmacists in Shanghai and Guangzhou: a questionnaire survey study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background This study interviewed community pharmacists in Shanghai and Guangzhou for their perception of the popular categories of over-the-counter (OTC) Chinese medicines and the factors affecting customer preferences for OTC Chinese medicines. Methods A cross-sectional survey was carried out in six main administrative districts in Guangzhou and eight main administrative districts in Shanghai, China. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted in this study. Results OTC Chinese medicines contributed 21–50% among all the pharmaceutical sales by the community pharmacies. The prevalent categories of OTC Chinese medicines were common cold medicines, respiratory system medicines, digestive system agents, gynecological medicines, health tonic medicines, and qing re (heat-clearing) and qu du (detoxifying) medicines. Customers were more concerned about medical factors of OTC Chinese medicines than business factors. Among the medical factors, the most important was drug safety, followed by efficacy, contraindications, indications, and side effects. Among the business factors, the most important were brand and price. Conclusions This study identified the top sales categories of OTC Chinese medicines in Shanghai and Guangzhou and the important factors such as drug safety, efficacy, period of validity, contraindications, and indications that are affecting the customer preferences for OTC Chinese medicines. PMID:25243017

The Prevalence of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia in Danish Patients Hospitalised with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, Dorte Melgaard; Baandrup, Ulrik; Bøgsted, Martin

2017-01-01

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) are prevalent conditions in the elderly. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between CAP, OD, and frailty in patients admitted to a department of respiratory medicine at a regional hospital. The outcome was mort......Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) are prevalent conditions in the elderly. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between CAP, OD, and frailty in patients admitted to a department of respiratory medicine at a regional hospital. The outcome...

Sociodemographic profile of medicines users in Brazil: results from the 2014 PNAUM survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso; Pizzol, Tatiane da Silva Dal; Ramos, Luiz Roberto; Mengue, Sotero Serrate; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Tavares, Noemia Urruth Leão; Farias, Mareni Rocha; Oliveira, Maria Auxiliadora; Arrais, Paulo Sergio Dourado

2016-12-01

To analyze the prevalence of medicine use by the Brazilian population and its distribution according to sociodemographic factors. Study using data from the Pesquisa Nacional de Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos (PNAUM - National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), a nationwide household survey of a representative sample of the Brazilian urban population. The data were collected between September 2013 and February 2014. The overall use of medicines, defined as the use of any medicine, use of medicines for treating chronic medical conditions and for acute health conditions, was evaluated. The independent variables included gender, age group, socioeconomic position, and region of Brazil. Analyzes included prevalence calculations, 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and Pearson Chi-square tests to evaluate the differences between groups, considering a 5% level of significance. The prevalence of medicines use was 50.7% (95%CI 49.3-52.2), with 39.3% (95%CI 37.5-41.1) accounting for men and 61.0% (95%CI 59.3-62.6) for women. Medicines use was observed to increase with increasing age, except among children within the zero to four years age group. The lowest prevalence for medicines use was found among those with a low socioeconomic position and those who reside in the North region of Brazil. The prevalence of medicine use to treat chronic diseases was 24.3% (95%CI 23.3-25.4), whereas it was 33.7% (95%CI 32.1-35.4) for treating acute diseases. We found extensive variability in the prevalence of medicines use across regions of Brazil. The poorest regions (North, Northeast, and Midwest) have a lower prevalence of medicines use to treat chronic diseases, indicating the need to minimize inequalities in access to medicines within the country. Analisar a prevalência do uso de medicamentos pela população brasileira e sua distribuição segundo aspectos sociodemográficos. Estudo com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Acesso

Herbal Medicines Use During Pregnancy: A Review from the Middle East

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Lisha J. John

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of the herbal medicines use is on the rise across the world, especially amongst pregnant women. The scenario in the Middle Eastern region was reviewed to explore the prevalence, usage pattern, motivation, and attitude towards use of herbal medicine by pregnant women. Literature published up to December 2012 showed the prevalence of herbal medicine use varied between 22.3–82.3%, implying a rising trend in the utilization of herbal medicine during pregnancy. The most common herbs used were peppermint, ginger, thyme, chamomile, sage, aniseed, fenugreek, and green tea. The most common reasons for use included the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and cold and flu symptoms. The majority of women used these products during their first trimester, and did not reveal this information to their physician. Most women were advised by family and friends to use herbal medicines and believed they were more effective and had fewer side effects than modern medicine especially during pregnancy. In conclusion, the use of herbal medicine is prevalent among pregnant women in the Middle Eastern region and healthcare providers need to seek information pertaining to their use.

Young adolescents' use of medicine for headache:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holstein, Bjørn E; Andersen, Anette; Krølner, Rikke

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Use of medicines for headache is common among young adolescents but little is known about their sources of supply and access to medicines. The purpose was to describe sources of supply, availability and accessibility at home and to examine if supply, availability and accessibility were...... associated with medicine use. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in eight schools where all fifth and seventh grade students (11- and 13-year-olds) answered a questionnaire about socio-demographic factors, health and medicine use. Response rate: 84.0%, n = 595. RESULTS: The reported prevalence of headache...... at least monthly was 45.0%, and 42.5% had used medicines for headache during the past month. 68.2% reported that medicines for headache were always available at home, and 22.2% were allowed to use these without asking for permission. Most pupils received medicine from their parents (73.1%) and physicians...

Omega-3 and omega-6 content of medicinal foods for depressed patients: implications from the Iranian Traditional Medicine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tavakkoli-Kakhki, Mandana; Motavasselian, Malihe; Mosaddegh, Mahmoud; Esfahani, Mohammad Mahdi; Kamalinejad, Mohammad; Nematy, Mohsen; Eslami, Saeid

2014-01-01

Considering the increasing prevalence of depression in modern societies and the positive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on depression, this study aims to investigate the omega-3 and omega-6 content of various foodstuffs, prescribed or prohibited by Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM).

Complementary and alternative medicine usage and its determinant factors among Iranian infertile couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghan, Mahlagha; Mokhtarabadi, Sima; Heidari, Fatemeh Ghaedi

2018-04-04

Background The aim of this study was to determine the status of utilizing some complementary and alternative medicine techniques in infertile couples. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 250 infertile couples referred to a hospital in Kerman using convenience sampling. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to study the prevalence and user satisfaction of complementary and alternative medicines. Results Results indicated that 49.6% of the infertile couples used at least one of the complementary and alternative medicines during the past year. Most individuals used spiritual techniques (71.8% used praying and 70.2% used Nazr) and medicinal plants (54.8%). Safety is the most important factor affecting the satisfaction of infertile couples with complementary treatments (couples think that such treatments are safe (54.8%)). Discussion Concerning high prevalence of complementary and alternative treatments in infertile couples, incorporating such treatments into the healthcare education and promoting the awareness of infertile individuals seem crucial.

An Observational Study of 3 Different Transfusion Medicine Teaching Methods for Medical Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Konia, Mojca Remskar; Richtsfeld, Martina; Johnson, Andrew D; Lougee, Michael; Cohn, Claudia; Morgan, Shanna

2018-04-01

Knowledge deficits of transfusion medicine are prevalent among learners and practicing physicians. In the past, the transfusion medicine community has thoughtfully defined the content of transfusion medicine curriculums through Transfusion Medicine Academic Award Group and The Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists. The manner in which the curriculum should be delivered has been less carefully examined and defined. We completed an observational study in which we analyzed 3 different teaching techniques: in-person faculty-led simulation curriculum consisting of didactic session and simulation ("Simulation group"); hybrid education with a combination of online materials and short in-person simulation ("Hybrid group"); and online-only education module, which delivered the whole curricular content through a variety of online materials and videos ("Online-only group"). Knowledge acquisition was assessed with a 10-question multiple-choice questionnaire, and satisfaction was assessed by a 9-question online student satisfaction survey. A total of 276second-year medical students participated in the study. There was statistically significant difference between pre- and posttest results and in knowledge gain favoring the Simulation group as compared with the Online-only group (P=.03, P<.0001) and favoring the Simulation group as compared with the Hybrid group (P=.004, P<.0001). The Simulation group and Hybrid group medical students were also more satisfied with the education activity as compared with the Online-only group (P<.0001, P<.001). Our study demonstrated that a faculty-run transfusion medicine simulation curriculum consisting of an in-person didactic session and simulation session for the second-year medical students produced greater immediate knowledge acquisition compared with an online only or a hybrid curriculum. Furthermore, any curriculum that contained in-person teaching by faculty was preferred over the online only education. Copyright �

Radiation physics in medicine and veterinary medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popovic, D.; Djuric, G.

2000-01-01

Medical and veterinary medicine staff and specialists represent an important decision making group in national administration and institutions dealing with radiation protection and environmental protection matters in general. Still, their education in physics, especially in radiation physics is fragmentary and loose, both from technical and theoretical point of view. Within medicine and veterinary medicine studies as well as within other biomedical sciences (biology, pharmacology, biotechnology) radiation physics is usually incorporated in the first year curricula as a part of general physics or biophysics course. Some segments of radiation physics mainly as a technical base for different instrumentation methods and techniques could be also found within different graduate and post-graduate courses of radiology, physical therapy, radiation hygiene, environmental protection, etc. But the traditional approach in presenting the matter and inflexibility of the educational system strongly confront the growing public concern for the environmental problems dealing with radiation and demands for better informing and technical education for those involved in informing and administration. This paper considers some of these problems presenting a new approach in education in radiation physics for medical and veterinary medicine students based on education through student projects and work in the field, as well as on the strong collaboration among administration, universities and professional societies on the national and international level. (author)

[Use of medicines and lifestyles among Italian adolescents].

Science.gov (United States)

Piccinini, Magda; Vieno, Alessio; Santinello, Massimo

2011-01-01

To determine the prevalence, among adolescents, of medicine use for headache, stomachache, difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, and to analyse its association with common lifestyles. Data were taken from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC), a transnational study coordinated by the WHO. The data are collected through a self-administered questionnaire for investigating health and health behaviours. 80 middle schools and 84 high schools were randomly selected from all Italian public and private schools. The questionnaire was filled out by a representative sample of 2667 (50.1% males) 13- and 15- year-old Italian students. Medicine use for headache, stomachache, difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, socio-economic status, physical fitness, breakfast, smoking and drunkenness. Females are more likely than boys to use medicines for headache (41.2% vs 30%) and stomachache (29%vs 16.2%), but there are no gender differences regarding medicines for difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, which are used less frequently. The prevalence of the use of medicines does not increase with age. The related behaviours are: for headache, breakfast, smoking and drunkenness; for stomachache, physical fitness, breakfast and smoking; for difficulties in getting to sleep and nervousness, drunkenness. The extensive use of medicines in adolescence and its association with some lifestyles suggest the importance to develop education programmes for adolescents.

Prevalence of osteoarthritis in individuals with COPD: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wshah A

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Adnan Wshah,1,2 Sara JT Guilcher,2,3 Roger Goldstein,1,2,4,5 Dina Brooks1,2,5 1Respiratory Medicine, West Park Healthcare Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 3Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 4Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 5Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Abstract: The objective of this review was to examine the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA in individuals with COPD. A computer-based literature search of CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO and Embase databases was performed. Studies reporting the prevalence of OA among a cohort of individuals with COPD were included. The sample size varied across the studies from 27 to 52,643 with a total number of 101,399 individuals with COPD recruited from different countries. The mean age ranged from 59 to 76 years. The prevalence rates of OA among individuals with COPD were calculated as weighted means. A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria with a prevalence ranging from 12% to 74% and an overall weighted mean of 35.5%. Our findings suggest that the prevalence of OA is high among individuals with COPD and should be considered when developing and applying interventions in this population. Keywords: COPD, osteoarthritis, prevalence, comorbidities, pulmonary rehabilitation

Use of medicines by homeless people in Porto, Portugal

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Helena Gama

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to describe patterns of medication use among homeless adults from the city of Porto, Portugal. We recruited 146 homeless participants in four social services institutions. Data on the use of medicines in the previous week were collected using face-to-face interviews. We described the prevalence and main correlates of use of medicines from different Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification (ATC groups. A total of 56.8% of the homeless reported to have used at least one medicine in the previous week. The most frequently reported were benzodiazepines (21.9% and antipsychotics (15.1%; socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle variables and use of health care were not found to be significantly associated with their use. The prevalence was 1.4% for anti-inflammatory and antirheumatic products, and 6.2% for antihypertensives, diuretics and beta-blocking agents. Medicines pertaining to the nervous system ATC group were by far the most frequently used, while those for the treatment of other common chronic and acute conditions seem to be underused.

Interventional studies in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saha, G.B.; Swanson, D.P.; Hladik, W.B. III

1987-01-01

Pharmacological interventions in nuclear medicine studies have been in practice for a long time. The triiodothyronine (T/sub 3/) suppression, Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulation, and perchlorate discharge tests are common examples of well-established diagnostic interventional studies. In recent years, pharmacologic and physiologic interventions in other nuclear medicine procedures have drawn considerable attention. The primary purpose of these interventions is to augment, complement or, more often, differentiate the information obtained from conventional nuclear medicine diagnostic studies. Pharmacologic interventions involve the administration of a specific drug before, during, or after the administration of radiopharmaceutical for a given study. The change in information due to intervention of the drug offers clues to differentiating various disease conditions. These changes can be brought about by physiologic interventions also, e.g., exercise in radionuclide ventriculography. In the latter interventions, the physiologic function of an organ is enhanced or decreased by physical maneuvers, and the changes observed can be used to differentiate various disease conditions

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of community pharmacists on generic medicines in Palestine: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shraim, Naser Y; Al Taha, Tasneem A; Qawasmeh, Rawan F; Jarrar, Hiba N; Shtaya, Maram A N; Shayeb, Lama A; Sweileh, Waleed M

2017-12-28

Generic substitution in several countries has become a common practice. Besides, it is considered as a major cost minimizing strategy meant to contain pharmaceutical expenditure without compromising healthcare quality. However, the safety and quality issues of generic products are of top concerns of general practitioners and health work professionals. This study aimed to investigate community pharmacist's knowledge, attitudes and practices toward generic medicines in Palestine. This study was a cross-sectional observational study employing a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was of four main sections: demographic and practice details of the participants, knowledge, attitudes and the influencing factors related to selection and dispensing of generic medicines. A convenience sampling technique was implemented in this study in which the data collection form was distributed in West Bank- Palestine among a set of practicing pharmacists. Mann-Whitney-U or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to comparison of different issues as appropriate. P-values of marketing approval of generics, while 87.4% of participants agreed that they should be given the right to substitute generics and the majority (62.3%) support generic substitution for brand name drugs in all cases when a generic is available The main two factors affect pharmacists' selection and dispensing of generic medicines are personal faith in the product (86.1%) and cost effectiveness of generic medicines (84.1%). Generic medicines substitution among pharmacists is widespread and prevalent. Our data found that participant pharmacists in Palestine had basic knowledge with regards to generic medicine. However, their knowledge score pertaining the technical and regulatory aspects of bioequivalence and pharmacokinetic parameters in particular was insufficient.

Prevalence of orthorexia nervosa in resident medical doctors in the faculty of medicine (Ankara, Turkey).

Science.gov (United States)

Bağci Bosi, A Tülay; Camur, Derya; Güler, Cağatay

2007-11-01

This study has been carried out to "identify highly sensitive behavior on healthy nutrition (orthorexia nervosa-ON)" in residence medical doctors (MD) in the Faculty of Medicine. Diagnoses of ON was based on the presence of a disorder with obsessive-compulsive personality. The study is a cross-sectional research, which reached out to the entire 318 MD. The ORTO-15 test was used to propose a diagnostic proceeding and to try verify the prevalence of ON. Those subjects who were classified below 40 from the ORTO-15 test are accepted to have ON. Chi-square test, ANOVA (univariate) analysis and logistic regression were used for analyses of the data. Mean score of the participants from the ORTO-15 test is 39.8+/-0.22, and there is no statistical difference between women and men. A total of 45.5% of the residence MD involved in the research scored below 40 in the ORTO-15 test. Those who do their food shopping themselves, skip a meal with a salad/fruit, care about the quality of the things they eat, think that eating outside is healthy, look at the content of what they eat and the content of food is important in selection of a product score lower in their average marks in ORTO-15 and the difference among the groups is statistically significant. Food selection of 20.1% of the male participants and 38.9% of the female participants among the residence MD is influenced by the programs on nutrition/health in mass-media. The difference between the groups is statistically significant (p<0.05). Female medical doctors are more careful than men of their physical appearance and weight control and consume less caloric food, which is statistically significant. Since those who exhibit "healthy fanatic" eating habits may have a risk of ON in the future, it would be useful to conduct studies that identify the prevalence of ON in the public.

Prevalence of medicines used by mentally-ill individuals of APAE, in Londrina Prevalência de medicamentos utilizados por portadores de retardo mental da APAE de Londrina-Pr

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Bruna Polacchine Da Silva

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Mental retardation (MR, after years of mites and beliefs, finally was considered to be a neurological affection that should be treated by a medical intervention. Psychotropic drugs, if correctly prescribed, are able to improve the capacity of MR individuals to productively interact socially and reintegrate themselves to the society. This work has as an objective to quantify, by a descriptive study, the frequency of use of medicines by students of the APAE (Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais from Londrina-PR, characterize those drugs and relate them to mental pathologies of major prevalence in the institution. To accomplish the objectives, a pool was conducted on a population of 147 students registered during the period from January/1989 to May/ 2003. The results shown the following medicines: antiepiletic (52.4%, neuroleptics (3.4%, hematopoietics (2.7%, anticolinergics and pro-kinetics agents (0.7% each. Fenobarbital was the most evident among the antiepiletic (29.8%. The prevalence of those drugs was higher among individuals with cerebral palsy (62.1% and lower for the Down syndrome group (17,24%. As a conclusion, we consider necessary to conduct research projects focusing on the dynamic of the personnel affected by MR, as well as to provide social assistance to destitute families. O retardo mental (RM, após anos de crenças e misticismos, finalmente passou a ser considerado uma afecção neurológica que deve ser tratada com intervenção médica. As drogas psicotrópicas, se administradas corretamente, podem permitir que os acometidos de RM recuperem a capacidade de interação social produtiva e reintegrem-se à sociedade. Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar, por meio de estudo descritivo, a freqüência da utilização de medicamentos utilizados pelos alunos da APAE (Associação de Pais e Amigos dos Excepcionais de Londrina-PR, caracterizar essas drogas e relacionálas com as patologias mentais de maior prevalência na

CROSSECTIONAL STUDY OF PREVALENCE OF DYSMENORRHEA AND PRE MENSTRUAL SYNDROME IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

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Joylene Diana

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Dysmenorrhea or pain during menstruation is the most common gynaecological complaint among adolescents and college students. A good majority of patients with dysmenorrhea also experience pre - menstrual symptoms ( PMS . The objective of this cross s ectional study was to assess prevalence of dysmennorhea , PMS , college absenteeism and knowledge attitudes and practices relating to the same among college going students between the age of 18 to 26 years. METHODS: A cross s ectional analysis of a total of 420 students using questionnaires related to dysmenorrhea was done . The questionnaire dealt with the regularity of menstrual cycles , occurrence of dysmenorrhea , college absenteeism , premenstrual symptoms and lifestyle attributes of the students. RESULTS: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea of varying degrees was found to be as high as 97 percent . Dysmennorhea was seen in 45.8 percent of students with regular cycles and 97.7 percent of students with irregular cycles. 47.5 percentage of students missed their college working days due to menstruation related complaints. Among the students who had pre - menstrual syndrome , majority of them revealed life style attributes like eating fast food and also consuming over the counter pain medicines. Also psychological and emotional changes were commonly seen during the premenstrual phase. CONCLUSION: This study showed that though dysmennorhea of varying degrees is widely prevalent among college going students , the prevalence of pre - menstrual syndrome was higher. The study suggests that adequate counseling and education about menstrual symptoms and abuse of OTC analgesics if made a part of college curriculum as well as lifestyle modifications could come a long way in helping to alleviate the problems college students face due to dysmennorhea and PMS.

Malaria prevalence and treatment of febrile patients at health facilities and medicine retailers in Cameroon.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangham, Lindsay J; Cundill, Bonnie; Achonduh, Olivia A; Ambebila, Joel N; Lele, Albertine K; Metoh, Theresia N; Ndive, Sarah N; Ndong, Ignatius C; Nguela, Rachel L; Nji, Akindeh M; Orang-Ojong, Barnabas; Wiseman, Virginia; Pamen-Ngako, Joelle; Mbacham, Wilfred F

2012-03-01

To investigate the quality of malaria case management in Cameroon 5 years after the adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Treatment patterns were examined in different types of facility, and the factors associated with being prescribed or receiving an ACT were investigated. A cross-sectional cluster survey was conducted among individuals of all ages who left public and private health facilities and medicine retailers in Cameroon and who reported seeking treatment for a fever. Prevalence of malaria was determined by rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in consenting patients attending the facilities and medicine retailers. Among the patients, 73% were prescribed or received an antimalarial, and 51% were prescribed or received an ACT. Treatment provided to patients significantly differed by type of facility: 65% of patients at public facilities, 55% of patients at private facilities and 45% of patients at medicine retailers were prescribed or received an ACT (P = 0.023). The odds of a febrile patient being prescribed or receiving an ACT were significantly higher for patients who asked for an ACT (OR = 24.1, P < 0.001), were examined by the health worker (OR = 1.88, P = 0.021), had not previously sought an antimalarial for the illness (OR = 2.29, P = 0.001) and sought treatment at a public (OR = 3.55) or private facility (OR = 1.99, P = 0.003). Malaria was confirmed in 29% of patients and 70% of patients with a negative result were prescribed or received an antimalarial. Malaria case management could be improved. Symptomatic diagnosis is inefficient because two-thirds of febrile patients do not have malaria. Government plans to extend malaria testing should promote rational use of ACT; though, the introduction of rapid diagnostic testing needs to be accompanied by updated clinical guidelines that provide clear guidance for the treatment of patients with negative test results. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Insomnia in Iranian Traditional Medicine

OpenAIRE

Feyzabadi, Zohre; Jafari, Farhad; Feizabadi, Parvin Sadat; Ashayeri, Hassan; Esfahani, Mohammad Mahdi; Badiee Aval, Shapour

2014-01-01

Context: Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders characterized by sleep difficulty that impairs daily functioning and reduces quality of life. The burden of medical, psychiatric, interpersonal, and societal consequences of insomnia expresses the importance of diagnosing and treatment of insomnia. The aim of study was to investigate causes of insomnia from the viewpoint of Iranian traditional medicine. Evidence Acquisition: In this review study, we searched insomnia in a few of t...

Seven years of teenage pregnancy in an inner London genitourinary medicine service - a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegazi, Aseel; Daley, Natalie; Williams, Elizabeth; McLeod, Felicity; Rafiezadeh, Saba; Prime, Katia

2014-12-01

Young people attending genitourinary medicine services are at high risk of unplanned pregnancy. We performed a retrospective cohort study to identify characteristics of pregnant teenagers accessing an inner London genitourinary medicine service. There were 481 pregnancies in 458 teenagers with 54 previous pregnancies and 46 previous terminations of pregnancy. The under-18 and under-16 teenage pregnancy rates were 92.1 and 85.8 per 1000 age-matched clinic attendees, respectively. Median age was 17.1 years. 'Black Other' teenagers ('Black British', 'Mixed White-Black Caribbean' and 'Mixed White-Black African') were over-represented, compared to our clinic population, while those of White ethnicity were under-represented. Few pregnancies (1.5%) were planned with the majority (64%) intending terminations of pregnancy. Most teenagers did not use consistent contraception. Two-thirds of patients had attended genitourinary medicine services in the past and sexually transmitted infection prevalence at presentation was high. Effectively targeting the sexual and reproductive health needs of teenage genitourinary medicine clinic attendees may have a significant impact on reducing sexually transmitted infections, unplanned pregnancy and terminations of pregnancy in this group. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Ethnobotanical study and conservation status of local medicinal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Plants are important sources of medicines. Herbal medicines in Lesotho are exposed to excessive exploitation and habitat destruction. Comprehensive information to promote proper use and conservation of these herbal medicines is lacking. This study described the uses of medicinal plants in Lesotho with ...

Prevalence of neurological disorders in Al Quseir, Egypt: methodological aspects

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El-Tallawy H

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Hamdy El-Tallawy,1 Wafa Farghaly,1 Nabil Metwally,2 Tarek Rageh,1 Ghaydaa A Shehata,1 Reda Badry,1 Esam El Moselhy,2 Mahmoud Hassan,2 Mohamed M Sayed,3 Ahmed A Abdelwarith,1 Y Hamed,2 I Shaaban,2 Talal Mohamed,4 Mohamed Abd El Hamed,1 MR Kandil1 1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt; 2Department of Neurology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University (Assiut branch, Assiut, Egypt; 3Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt; 4Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Qena University, Qena, Egypt Abstract: Methodology and strategy play a very important role in epidemiological studies. Determination of the study area, geographical features, facilities, difficulties, and key personnel from the same area are important factors for successful methodology. Over 31 months (July 1, 2009 to January 31, 2012, a screening and an examination survey were carried out to ascertain the prevalence of epilepsy, stroke, dementia, cerebellar ataxia, migraine, cerebral palsy, Parkinsonism, chorea, athetosis, dystonia, trigeminal neuralgia, Bell's palsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders in Al Quseir, Red Sea Governorate, Egypt. A total of 33,285 people were screened by three neurologists in a door-to-door manner, including every door, using a standardized Arabic questionnaire to detect any subject with a neurological disorder. The methodological aspects of this project were carried out through eight phases: (1 data collection; (2 preparation; (3 screening; (4 case ascertainment; (5 investigations; (6 classifications; (7 data entry; and (8 statistics and tabulations. The results of this study reveal that the total prevalence of neurological disorders in Al Quseir was 4.6% and higher among females (5.2% than males (3.9%. The highest prevalence was recorded in the elderly population (60+ years [8.0%] and among the age

Medical studies and Nazi medicine: Nazi medicine as perceived by Austrian medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Stefan; Rásky, Éva; Freidl, Wolfgang

2016-02-01

Austrian medical universities have not covered the topic of Nazi medicine in their curricula to any satisfactory degree to date. In the context of medical-ethical education and on-going medical ethics debates, it seems indispensable to be confronted also with the dark chapters of medical history, and especially Nazi medicine. Students should learn to understand controversial discussions, e.g. about euthanasia, in a historical context. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether students had, during their studies, been confronted with Nazi medical crime and whether they considered such a confrontation as important. The survey also focused on extant knowledge about this topic. From late 2012 to May 2013, 341 late semester students of the medical universities in Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck were questioned about the coverage of Nazi medicine during their courses, using multiple choice questionnaires. The data were evaluated using a descriptive-statistical approach. The study has shown a low level of knowledge of students about Nazi medicine in the three universities. Only a third of the students had ever heard about "Aktion T4". About 65% of the participants found it important to be comprehensively informed about Nazi medicine during their studies, e.g. with a view to their future career. On average across the three universities, only 43% of the students had been confronted with this topic. The study found a clear wish for more information about Nazi medicine. Universities should, therefore, offer students various opportunities and ways of discussing this issue in the university context.

Insomnia in Iranian Traditional Medicine

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Feyzabadi, Zohre; Jafari, Farhad; Feizabadi, Parvin Sadat; Ashayeri, Hassan; Esfahani, Mohammad Mahdi; Badiee Aval, Shapour

2014-01-01

Context: Insomnia is one of the most prevalent sleep disorders characterized by sleep difficulty that impairs daily functioning and reduces quality of life. The burden of medical, psychiatric, interpersonal, and societal consequences of insomnia expresses the importance of diagnosing and treatment of insomnia. The aim of study was to investigate causes of insomnia from the viewpoint of Iranian traditional medicine. Evidence Acquisition: In this review study, we searched insomnia in a few of the most famous ancient textbooks of Iranian traditional medicine from different centuries. This books includeThe Canon of Medicine by Avicenna (the first version of Beirut), Zakhire Kharazmshahi by Jurjani (the scanned version of Bonyade Farhang-e Iran), Malfaregh by Razes (the first version of Iran University of Medical Sciences), and Aqili’s cure by Aqili (the first version of Iran University of Medical Sciences). Results: This study found that in Iranian traditional medicine manuscripts, insomnia was called sahar and even though many factors induce insomnia, most of them act through causing brain dystemperament. Conclusions: The brain dystemperament is considered one of the main causes of insomnia and insomnia can be well managed with an organized line of treatment, by correcting the brain dystemperament through elimination of causes. This study helps to find new solutions to treat insomnia. PMID:24829786

Symptom prevalence in a cohort of 65 patients improved with the homoeopathic medicine Mangifera indica: A multicentric open observational clinical verification study

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Raj K Manchanda

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Clinical verification is an ongoing research program of the Council that verified many rare homoeopathic drugs. Aim: To clinically verify the ‘symptomatology’ of Mangifera indica by ascertaining the symptoms improved during verification. Materials and Methods: The study was a multicentric open label observational trial. Total 114 patients were enrolled after matching with the available symptom compendium and eligibility criteria in five centres of the Council. The medicine was prescribed in 6C, 30C, 200C and 1M potencies, as per need of the patient following the homoeopathic principles and protocol developed by the Council. The collected data were presented in terms of descriptive statistics. Prevalence of symptoms in the responding and non-responding population has been compared using Chi-square test. Results: Among the total 114 patients enrolled in the study, 77 patients who completed the follow up were analysed, as there were 37 drop out cases. The demographic analysis shows, male/female: 41/36, mean age 28.61 years. There was “clinical success” in 65 cases (84.41% and failures in 12 cases (15.59%, judged subjectively by the physicians. A minimum of two prescriptions were considered for pick listing each symptom as a rule of thumb. Conclusions: Total 16 CCRH proving symptoms were verified, 4 symptoms from other literatures were also verified. 51 new clinical symptoms/symptom components were identified. Further replication and estimation of likelihood ratio in general practice setting is crucial for confirmation and inclusion of such symptoms in homoeopathic literatures.

Dementia Etiologies and Remedies in Traditional Persian Medicine; A Review of Medicinal Plants and Phytochemistry.

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Shirbeigi, Laila; Dalfardi, Behnam; Abolhassanzadeh, Zohreh; Nejatbakhsh, Fatemeh

2018-01-01

Dementia is a chronic neurodegenerative disease causing progressive and gradual impairment of different brain's cognitive functions. The prevalence of dementia is about 3 to 7% in different parts of the world. The aim of this study was to determine the etiologies of dementia according to the Traditional Persian Medicine scientists' viewpoint and introduce their recommended herbal remedies for this disease. The authors explored six main Traditional Persian Medicine textbooks for the disease of dementia, its etiologies and related recommended herbal treatments. Two main keywords of "Lisarghes" and" Nesyan" were searched for this purpose. Medical databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Science Direct were searched for related articles published between 1966 and 2016 to review the pharmacological components and active ingredients of suggested herbal medicines. According to the Traditional Persian Medicine, dementia is resulted from brain dystemperament, a condition caused by cold and moist or cold and dry tempers. To treat this disease, Traditional Persian scientists recommended various herbal remedies. Current studies have demonstrated that some of these medicinal plants have beneficial effects for the aforementioned disease, including acetyl cholinesterase inhibitory function, neuroprotective effects, and memory enhancing role. The Traditional Persian Medicine literature suggested different herbal remedies for treating dementia. Modern studies support the usefulness of some of these medicines. However, the effect of a large number of these remedies has remained unexamined, a matter which needs to be investigated in future researches. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Allergy among veterinary medicine students in The Netherlands.

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Samadi, Sadegh; Spithoven, Jack; Jamshidifard, Ali-Reza; Berends, Boyd R; Lipman, Len; Heederik, Dick J J; Wouters, Inge M

2012-01-01

Veterinary medicine students who practice with animals are potentially exposed to many occupational agents, yet sensitisation and allergic symptoms among this group have not been studied extensively. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sensitisation and allergic symptoms in veterinary medicine students in association with study specialisation over time. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Blood was collected and tested for total and specific serum IgE for 16 different common and study-specific allergens using enzyme immunoassay. New development of self-reported allergic symptoms to various allergens occurred in 8.7%, of which 44% was deducted against animals. Handling farm animals was strongly associated with self-reported allergies to various allergens (OR=6.9, 95% CI 1.9 to 25) and animal allergens (OR=12, 95% CI 1.4 to 103). Sensitisation to at least one allergen occurred in 33.1%. Sensitisation prevalence tended to be elevated in later years of the equine study program. In contrast to self-reported allergies, the prevalence of sensitisation to any allergen decreased with prolonged study duration for those specialising in farm animal health (years 3-5: OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3 to 1.1; year 6: OR=0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.5). This was independent of whether people were raised on a farm, which is in itself a protective factor for allergy and sensitisation. This study provides evidence of an elevated prevalence of allergic symptoms with increasing years of veterinary study, suggesting that contact with animals, more specifically contact to farm animals, is a risk factor for the development of symptoms.

Use of Chinese medicine by cancer patients: a review of surveys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smith Caroline A

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Chinese medicine has been used to treat a variety of cancer-related conditions. This study aims to examine the prevalence and patterns of Chinese medicine usage by cancer patients. We reviewed articles written in English and found only the Chinese medicine usage from the studies on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM. Seventy four (74 out of 81 articles reported rates of CAM usage ranging from 2.6 to 100%. Acupuncture was reported in 71 out of 81 studies. Other less commonly reported modalities included Qigong (n = 17, Chinese herbal medicine (n = 11, Taichi (n = 10, acupressure (n = 6, moxibustion (n = 2, Chinese dietary therapy (n = 1, Chinese massage (n = 1, cupping (n = 1 and other Chinese medicine modalities (n = 19. This review also found important limitations of the English language articles on CAM usage in cancer patients. Our results show that Chinese medicine, in particular Chinese herbal medicine, is commonly used by cancer patients. Further research is warranted to include studies not written in English.

Study of business ethics in occupational medicine.

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Philipp, R; Goodman, G; Harling, K; Beattie, B

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the views of specialists in occupational medicine about business ethics in occupational medicine. METHOD: A qualitative study with face to face focus groups and successive reviews of the draft consensus was undertaken of all accredited specialists in occupational medicine who were members of the south Wales and west of England group of the Society of Occupational Medicine, and of all regional specialty advisers and deputies from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine. RESULTS: There was widespread agreement for the need of a code of business ethics. In all, during the four draft stages of preparing a consensus, 72% (28/39) of members of the south Wales and west of England group of the Society of Occupational Medicine, and 31% (20/64) of regional specialty advisers and deputies provided detailed comment for inclusion in it. CONCLUSIONS: Consensus of their views was reached among study participants for issues of business ethics involving advertising, competence, qualifications, fees, commitment, changes in provider contracts, regulation, and supervision of trainees. It provides a basis for further debate. PMID:9196458

Study of business ethics in occupational medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Philipp, R; Goodman, G; Harling, K; Beattie, B

1997-05-01

To investigate the views of specialists in occupational medicine about business ethics in occupational medicine. A qualitative study with face to face focus groups and successive reviews of the draft consensus was undertaken of all accredited specialists in occupational medicine who were members of the south Wales and west of England group of the Society of Occupational Medicine, and of all regional specialty advisers and deputies from the Faculty of Occupational Medicine. There was widespread agreement for the need of a code of business ethics. In all, during the four draft stages of preparing a consensus, 72% (28/39) of members of the south Wales and west of England group of the Society of Occupational Medicine, and 31% (20/64) of regional specialty advisers and deputies provided detailed comment for inclusion in it. Consensus of their views was reached among study participants for issues of business ethics involving advertising, competence, qualifications, fees, commitment, changes in provider contracts, regulation, and supervision of trainees. It provides a basis for further debate.

Health, healthcare access, and use of traditional versus modern medicine in remote Peruvian Amazon communities: a descriptive study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

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Williamson, Jonathan; Ramirez, Ronald; Wingfield, Tom

2015-04-01

There is an urgent need for healthcare research, funding, and infrastructure in the Peruvian Amazon. We performed a descriptive study of health, health knowledge and practice, and healthcare access of 13 remote communities of the Manatí and Amazon Rivers in northeastern Peru. Eighty-five adults attending a medical boat service were interviewed to collect data on socioeconomic position, health, diagnosed illnesses, pain, healthcare access, and traditional versus modern medicine use. In this setting, poverty and gender inequality were prevalent, and healthcare access was limited by long distances to the health post and long waiting times. There was a high burden of reported pain (mainly head and musculoskeletal) and chronic non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension (19%). Nearly all participants felt that they did not completely understand their diagnosed illnesses and wanted to know more. Participants preferred modern over traditional medicine, predominantly because of mistrust or lack of belief in traditional medicine. Our findings provide novel evidence concerning transitional health beliefs, hidden pain, and chronic non-communicable disease prevalence in marginalized communities of the Peruvian Amazon. Healthcare provision was limited by a breach between health education, knowledge, and access. Additional participatory research with similar rural populations is required to inform regional healthcare policy and decision-making. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

High prevalence but limited evidence in complementary and alternative medicine: guidelines for future research

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

The use of complementary and alternative Medicine (CAM) has increased over the past two decades in Europe. Nonetheless, research investigating the evidence to support its use remains limited. The CAMbrella project funded by the European Commission aimed to develop a strategic research agenda starting by systematically evaluating the state of CAM in the EU. CAMbrella involved 9 work packages covering issues such as the definition of CAM; its legal status, provision and use in the EU; and a synthesis of international research perspectives. Based on the work package reports, we developed a strategic and methodologically robust research roadmap based on expert workshops, a systematic Delphi-based process and a final consensus conference. The CAMbrella project suggests six core areas for research to examine the potential contribution of CAM to the health care challenges faced by the EU. These areas include evaluating the prevalence of CAM use in Europe; the EU cititzens’ needs and attitudes regarding CAM; the safety of CAM; the comparative effectiveness of CAM; the effects of meaning and context on CAM outcomes; and different models for integrating CAM into existing health care systems. CAM research should use methods generally accepted in the evaluation of health services, including comparative effectiveness studies and mixed-methods designs. A research strategy is urgently needed, ideally led by a European CAM coordinating research office dedicated to fostering systematic communication between EU governments, the public, charitable and industry funders, researchers and other stakeholders. A European Centre for CAM should also be established to monitor and further a coordinated research strategy with sufficient funds to commission and promote high quality, independent research focusing on the public’s health needs and pan-European collaboration. There is a disparity between highly prevalent use of CAM in Europe and solid knowledge about it. A strategic approach on

[Study on incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines].

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Xin-sheng; Duan, Jin-ao; Hua, Hao-ming; Qian, Da-wei; Shang, Er-xin; Guo, Jian-ming

2015-04-01

The incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines is related to the clinical medication safety, so has attracted wide attentions from the public. With the deepening of studies on the incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines represented by 18 incompatible herbs, the incompatibility of theory traditional Chinese medicines has raised to new heights. From the origin of incompatibility theory of traditional Chinese medicines, relationship of herbs, harms of incompatible herbs and principle of prevention to toxic effects of specific incompatible medicines, the innovation and development of the traditional Chinese medicine incompatibility theory was explored. Structurally, the incompatibility of traditional Chinese medicines refers to the opposition of two herbs based on seven emotions and clinical experience. The combination of incompatible herbs may lead to human harms, especially latent harm and inefficacy of intervention medicines. The avoidance of the combination of incompatible herbs and the consideration of both symptoms and drug efficacy are the basic method to prevent adverse reactions. The recent studies have revealed five characteristics of incompatible herbs. Toxicity potentiation, toxication, efficacy reduction and inefficacy are the four manifestations of the incompatible relations. The material changes can reflect the effects of toxicity potentiation and toxication of opposite herbs. The accumulation of toxicity and metabolic changes are the basis for latent harms. The antagonistic effect of main efficacies and the coexistence of positive and negative effects are the distinctive part of the incompatibility. The connotation of incompatible herbs plays an important role in the innovation of the traditional Chinese medicine incompatibility theory.

Analysis of Herbal Medicine Prescriptions for Patients in An Academic Korean Medical Hospital: A Cross Sectional Study of Electronic Medical Records (2010-2013).

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Lee, Byung-Wook; Lee, Hyeon-Yeop; Heo, Kwang-Ho; Cho, Hyun-Woo; Hwang, Man-Suk; Heo, In; Shin, Byung-Cheul; Hwang, Eui-Hyoung

2018-06-01

To obtain fundamental information for the standardization of herbal medicine in Korea. We analyzed the herbal medicine prescription data of patients at the Pusan National University Korean Medicine Hospital from March 2010 to February 2013. We used the Dongui-Bogam (Dong Yi Bao Jian) to classify prescribed herbal medicines. The study revealed that the most frequently prescribed herbal medicine was 'Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LWDHP, )' which was used for invigorating 'Shen (Kidndy)-yin'. 'LWDHP' was most frequently prescribed to male patients aged 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80-89 years, and 'Xionggui Tiaoxue Decoction (XGTXD, )' was most frequently prescribed to female patients aged 30-39 and 40-49 years. According to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes, 'Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue' showed the highest prevalence. 'LWDHP' and 'XGTXD' was the most frequently prescribed in categories 5 and 3, respectively. Based on the percentage of prescriptions for each sex, 'Ziyin Jianghuo Decoction ()' was prescribed to mainly male patients, and 'XGTXD' with 'Guima Geban Decoction ()' were prescribed to mainly female patients. This study analysis successfully determined the frequency of a variety of herbal medicines, and many restorative herbal medicines were identified and frequently administered.

Application of transcriptomics in Chinese herbal medicine studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsin-Yi Lo

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Transcriptomics using DNA microarray has become a practical and popular tool for herbal medicine study because of high throughput, sensitivity, accuracy, specificity, and reproducibility. Therefore, this article focuses on the overview of DNA microarray technology and the application of DNA microarray in Chinese herbal medicine study. To understand the number and the objectives of articles utilizing DNA microarray for herbal medicine study, we surveyed 297 frequently used Chinese medicinal herbs listed in Pharmacopoeia Commission of People’s Republic of China. We classified these medicinal herbs into 109 families and then applied PudMed search using “microarray” and individual herbal family as keywords. Although thousands of papers applying DNA microarray in Chinese herbal studies have been published since 1998, most of the articles focus on the elucidation of mechanisms of certain biological effects of herbs. Construction of the bioactivity database containing large-scaled gene expression profiles of quality control herbs can be applied in the future to analyze the biological events induced by herbs, predict the therapeutic potential of herbs, evaluate the safety of herbs, and identify the drug candidate of herbs. Moreover, the linkage of systems biology tools, such as functional genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics, will become a new translational platform between Western medicine and Chinese herbal medicine.

[Complementary and alternative medicine: use in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais].

Science.gov (United States)

Neto, Joao Felício Rodrigues; Faria, Anderson Antônio de; Figueiredo, Maria Fernanda Santos

2009-01-01

To determine prevalence of utilization and social and economic profile of those using complementary and alternative medicine in the medium sized Brazilian city of Montes Claros, MG. A transversal descriptive study was conducted. The sample of 3090 people was probabilistic, by clusters using the household as the sample unit for interview of both genders, older than 18 years. Data were collected by semi-structured questionnaires. Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine was of 8.9% when only those involving costs such as homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractics, techniques of relaxation/ meditation and massage are considered and of 70.0%, when all therapies found were included. Prevalent were prayers to God (52.0%), popular medicines (30.9%), physical exercises (25.5%), faith healers (15.0%), popular diets (7.1%), massage (4.9%), relaxation/meditation (2.8%), homeopathy (2.4%), and groups of self-help (1.9%), chiropractics (1.7%), acupuncture (1.5%) and orthomolecular medicine (0.2%). Women, Catholic, married of higher income and education were positively associated with utilization of therapies involving expenses. Complementary and alternative medicine is used by a significant number of those interviewed. Gender, religion, marital status, income and education were positively associated with utilization of complementary and alternative medicine. Access of those with less income and education could increase the utilization of the options that involve expenses.

Core principles of evolutionary medicine: A Delphi study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grunspan, Daniel Z; Nesse, Randolph M; Barnes, M Elizabeth; Brownell, Sara E

2018-01-01

Evolutionary medicine is a rapidly growing field that uses the principles of evolutionary biology to better understand, prevent and treat disease, and that uses studies of disease to advance basic knowledge in evolutionary biology. Over-arching principles of evolutionary medicine have been described in publications, but our study is the first to systematically elicit core principles from a diverse panel of experts in evolutionary medicine. These principles should be useful to advance recent recommendations made by The Association of American Medical Colleges and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to make evolutionary thinking a core competency for pre-medical education. The Delphi method was used to elicit and validate a list of core principles for evolutionary medicine. The study included four surveys administered in sequence to 56 expert panelists. The initial open-ended survey created a list of possible core principles; the three subsequent surveys winnowed the list and assessed the accuracy and importance of each principle. Fourteen core principles elicited at least 80% of the panelists to agree or strongly agree that they were important core principles for evolutionary medicine. These principles over-lapped with concepts discussed in other articles discussing key concepts in evolutionary medicine. This set of core principles will be helpful for researchers and instructors in evolutionary medicine. We recommend that evolutionary medicine instructors use the list of core principles to construct learning goals. Evolutionary medicine is a young field, so this list of core principles will likely change as the field develops further.

Traditional, complementary and alternative medicine use by HIV patients a decade after public sector antiretroviral therapy roll out in South Africa: a cross sectional study.

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Nlooto, Manimbulu; Naidoo, Panjasaram

2016-05-17

The roll out of antiretroviral therapy in the South African public health sector in 2004 was preceded by the politicisation of HIV-infection which was used to promote traditional medicine for the management of HIV/AIDS. One decade has passed since; however, questions remain on the extent of the use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) by HIV-infected patients. This study therefore aimed at investigating the prevalence of the use of African traditional medicine (ATM), complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) by adult patients in the eThekwini and UThukela Health Districts, South Africa. A cross- sectional study was carried out at 8 public health sector antiretroviral clinics using interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires. These were completed from April to October 2014 by adult patients who had been on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least three months. Use of TCAM by patients was analysed by descriptive statistics using frequency and percentages with standard error. Where the associated relative error was equal or greater to 0.50, the percentage was rejected as unstable. A p-value public health sector, the use of TCAM is still prevalent amongst a small percentage of HIV infected patients attending public healthcare sector antiretroviral clinics. Further research is needed to explore reasons for use and health benefits or risks experienced by the minority that uses both conventional antiretroviral therapy with TCAM.

Stress and its effects on medical students: a cross-sectional study at a college of medicine in Saudi Arabia.

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Abdulghani, Hamza M; AlKanhal, Abdulaziz A; Mahmoud, Ebrahim S; Ponnamperuma, Gominda G; Alfaris, Eiad A

2011-10-01

Medical education is perceived as being stressful, and a high level of stress may have a negative effect on cognitive functioning and learning of students in a medical school. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of stress among medical students and to observe an association between the levels of stress and their academic performance, including the sources of their stress. All the medical students from year one to year five levels from the College of Medicine, King Saud University, were enrolled in the study. The study was conducted using Kessler10 psychological distress (K10) inventory, which measures the level of stress according to none, mild, moderate, and severe categories. The prevalence of stress was measured and compared with the five study variables, such as gender, academic year, academic grades, regularity to course attendance, and perceived physical problems. The response rate among the study subjects was 87% (n=892). The total prevalence of stress was 63%, and the prevalence of severe stress was 25%. The prevalence of stress was higher (pstress significantly decreased as the year of study increased, except for the final year. The study variables, including being female (pstress. Students' grade point average (academic score) or regularity to attend classes was not significantly associated with the stress level. The prevalence of stress was higher during the initial three years of study and among the female students. Physical problems are associated with high stress levels. Preventive mental health services, therefore, could be made an integral part of routine clinical services for medical students, especially in the initial academic years, to prevent such occurrence.

Concurrent Study of Eastern and Western Medicine at the National College of Natural Medicine: Dual or Duel?

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Andrea Christine

2010-01-01

Students at the National College of Natural Medicine (NCNM) are eligible to concurrently study both Western medicine, as reflected by the Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (ND) program, and Eastern medicine, as exhibited by the Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) degree program. The dual track is unique in that the dominant Western…

Characteristics and status of Korean medicine use in whiplash-associated disorder patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Nohyeon; Shin, Byung-Cheul; Shin, Joon-Shik; Lee, Jinho; Lee, Yoon Jae; Kim, Me-Riong; Hwang, Eui-Hyoung; Jung, Chan Yung; Ruan, Diana; Ha, In-Hyuk

2018-04-06

Patients are free to choose conventional or Korean medicine treatment under the dual medical system in Korea, and the prevalence of patients who choose Korean medicine treatment for whiplash-associated disorders (WADs) is high. This study analyzed the sociodemographic characteristics and medical service use in this population to provide healthcare providers with basic usage information of complementary and alternative medicine for WAD. A total of 8291 outpatients who registered under automobile insurance coverage and visited the main branch of Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine from April 1, 2014 to August 10, 2016 were included. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms, and accident and treatment-related details were collected from electronic medical records. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify baseline factors predictive of total treatment duration. The most prevalent demographic of patients who chose Korean medicine for WAD treatment was males in their thirties whose initial visit to the hospital was 16.1 ± 94.1 days from the accident. Neck pain accompanied by low back pain (57.0%) was the most common complaint, and for singular pain, neck pain (13.5%) was the most prevalent. Baseline numeric rating scale (NRS) pain levels were generally moderate (4-6) regardless of area. Patients received 7.2 ± 10.2 sessions of treatment for 32.6 ± 55.3 days. The most commonly prescribed treatment modalities in order of highest frequency were acupuncture, cupping, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine, which collectively accounted for > 90% of treatments. Acupuncture was administered 29.0 ± 40.8 times, and cupping 14.0 ± 18.7 times as the two highest frequency treatments. In multivariate regression analysis, longer treatment periods were found to be associated with higher NRS, older age, and delayed initial visits at baseline. This study highlights the characteristics and Korean medicine use of WAD

Prevalence of mental distress and associated factors among Hawassa University medical students, Southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Melese, Biniam; Bayu, Birhanu; Wondwossen, Fikir; Tilahun, Kalkidan; Lema, Seti; Ayehu, Moges; Loha, Eskindir

2016-11-08

Mental distress is a mental health problem expressed with variable levels of depressive, anxiety, panic or somatic symptoms. Owing to several factors tertiary level students are among the population with higher prevalence of mental distress and an even more higher prevalence has been reported in medical students. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mental distress among medical students, and to evaluate contextually relevant associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students attending Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences in 2013/2014 academic year. Stratified random sampling was implemented with each strata representing the year of study of the students. Data on mental distress was collected using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20). Data was entered into and analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics 21. A cut-off point of 8 and above was used to classify students as having mental distress. Among 240 students included in the study, 72 (30%) of them were found to have mental distress. There was no significant difference in mental distress between males and females (COR = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.62-2.25). On bivariate analysis, students with age less than or equal to 21 years showed higher odds of having mental distress (COR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.26-4.22), but because of having high correlation with students' year of study, age was excluded from the multivariate model. In this study being a pre-medicine student (AOR = 3.61, 95% CI: 1.45-8.97), perceiving medical school as very stressful (AOR = 3.89, 95% CI: 1.52-9.94), perceiving living environment as very crowded (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.24-4.77) and having a feeling of insecurity about one's safety (AOR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.51-5.68) had statistically significant association with mental distress. In this study one-third of medical students were found to have mental distress. Designing prevention and treatment programs to address contextually

Prevalence of dental anomalies in Indian population

OpenAIRE

Santosh, Patil; Bharati, Doni; Sumita, Kaswan; Farzan, Rahman

2013-01-01

Objectives: Developmental anomalies of the dentition are not infrequently observed by the dental practitioner. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of dental anomalies in the Indian population. Study Design: A retrospective study of 4133 panoramic radiographs of patients, who attended the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital between September 2008 to December 2012 was done. The ages of the patients ranged from 13 to 38 year...

Prevalence of self-medication among university students in Baghdad: a cross-sectional study from Iraq.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ameri, Rawa J K; Abd Al-Badri, Husham J; Lafta, Riyadh K

2017-03-30

The objective of this study is to find out the prevalence and determinants of self-medication among college students in Baghdad, Iraq. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Al-Mustansiriyah and Al-Nahrain universities, Baghdad, from January to April 2015. A multistage random sampling technique was adopted to collect data from 1435 college students using a questionnaire form. The mean age of the joining students was 19.8 years. Females form 53% of the sample. Self-medications use was prevalent among 92.4% of students. Antipyretics and antibiotics were the most used medicines. Self-medication was higher among urban residents (OR= 7.99, P resilience to self-medication (OR=0.455, P = 0.001). Despite free access to healthcare institutions, nine out of ten college students from Baghdad universities have practiced self-medication. Education of students about the safe use of medications and supervision of pharmacies are effective ways to control this malpractice.

Patient preparation for nuclear medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stathis, V.J.; Cantrell, D.W.; Cantrell, T.J.

1987-01-01

In this chapter are described methods of patient preparation that can favorably affect the outcome of nuclear medicine studies in specific situations. Some of these practices may be considered essential to the success of the nuclear medicine procedure, whereas others may be thought of simply as a means of obtaining more valid or reliable information. Regardless of relative importance, each of the preparatory methods discussed can contribute to the quality of the respective study and can serve as a means of maximizing the value of nuclear medicine procedures. The specific patient preparation techniques discussed in this chapter may not be readily applicable to every practice setting or situation. These or similar procedures can be used or modified as necessary. It is important, however, that when new protocols are developed, the rationale and theoretical basis of each technique be considered

Burnout among female emergency medicine physicians: A nationwide study.

Science.gov (United States)

Soltanifar, Atefeh; Pishbin, Elham; Attaran Mashhadi, Negin; Najaf Najafi, Mona; Siahtir, Maryam

2018-02-13

The challenging and stressful nature of emergency medicine place the practitioners of this young branch of medicine at risk of burnout. In Iran, the number of women choosing the specialty of emergency medicine has been increasing in recent years. No studies have focused on burnout among female emergency medicine physicians. We conducted this study to evaluate the level of burnout in female emergency medicine physicians in Iran. In this cross-sectional study, all Iranian female emergency medicine physicians with more than 2 years of work experience as specialists, received a questionnaire containing 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory scales and 7-item Cassidy social support scale, as well as questions about workload and career satisfaction. In total, 77 questionnaires were analysed (response rate: 75%; median age: 36 years, median for work experience = 3 years). A total of 34% of participants were academic faculties. The level of burnout in three subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and perceived low personal accomplishment was moderate to high in 84.5, 48.1 and 80.5% of participants respectively. A total of 94.8% of female emergency medicine physicians perceived their workload to be moderate to high and only 1.3% of them had high job satisfaction. Alarming high rate of burnout and job dissatisfaction among female emergency medicine physicians in our study requires careful attention. Further investigations are suggested to identify the contributory factors to burnout and the probability of some gender disparities in this field. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine in head and neck cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, C M; Ng, A; Loh, K S

2010-05-01

To determine the prevalence and profile of patients who use complementary and alternative medicine, within a cohort of head and neck cancer patients. Cross-sectional survey. Ninety-three consecutive head and neck cancer patients being followed up at the department of otolaryngology head and neck surgery were surveyed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use was 67.8 per cent. Patients who used complementary and alternative medicine were more likely to be female, better educated and younger, compared with non-users. A total of 82.5 per cent (52/63) perceived complementary and alternative medicine to be effective, even though they were aware of the lack of research and endorsement by their physician regarding such medicine. The use of complementary and alternative medicine by head and neck cancer patients is common, regardless of efficacy or cost. Clinicians should routinely ask patients about their use of complementary and alternative medicine, to facilitate communication and enable appropriate use of such medicine.

Prevalence of homeopathy use by the general population worldwide: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Relton, Clare; Cooper, Katy; Viksveen, Petter; Fibert, Philippa; Thomas, Kate

2017-05-01

To systematically review surveys of 12-month prevalence of homeopathy use by the general population worldwide. Studies were identified via database searches to October 2015. Study quality was assessed using a six-item tool. All estimates were in the context of a survey which also reported prevalence of any complementary and alternative medicine use. A total of 36 surveys were included. Of these, 67% met four of six quality criteria. Twelve-month prevalence of treatment by a homeopath was reported in 24 surveys of adults (median 1.5%, range 0.2-8.2%). Estimates for children were similar to those for adults. Rates in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada all ranged from 0.2% to 2.9% and remained stable over the years surveyed (1986-2012). Twelve-month prevalence of all use of homeopathy (purchase of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines and treatment by a homeopath) was reported in 10 surveys of adults (median 3.9%, range 0.7-9.8%) while a further 11 surveys which did not define the type of homeopathy use reported similar data. Rates in the USA and Australia ranged from 1.7% to 4.4% and remained stable over the years surveyed. The highest use was reported by a survey in Switzerland where homeopathy is covered by mandatory health insurance. This review summarises 12-month prevalence of homeopathy use from surveys conducted in eleven countries (USA, UK, Australia, Israel, Canada, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, South Korea, Japan and Singapore). Each year a small but significant percentage of these general populations use homeopathy. This includes visits to homeopaths as well as purchase of over-the-counter homeopathic medicines. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

[Racism of "Blood" and colonial medicine - Blood group anthropology studies at Keijo Imperial University Department of Forensic Medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Joon Young

2012-12-01

This paper attempts to explore implications of Colonial medicine's Blood Type Studies, concerning the characteristics and tasks of racism in the Japanese Colonial Empire. Especially, it focuses on the Blood Group Anthropology Studies at Keijo Imperial University Department of Forensic Medicine. In Colonial Korea, the main stream of Blood Type Studies were Blood Group Anthropology Studies, which place Korean people who was inferior to Japanese people in the geography of the race on the one hand, but on the other, put Koreans as a missing link between the Mongolian and the Japanese for fulfillment of the Japanese colonialism, that is, assimilationist ideology. Then, Compared to the Western medicine and Metropole medicine of Japan, How differentiated was this tendency of Colonial Medicine from them? In this paper, main issues of Blood Group Anthropology Studies and its colonial implications are examined. The Korean Society for the History of Medicine.

Prevalence of Depression in Medical Students at the Lebanese University and Exploring its Correlation With Facebook Relevance: A Questionnaire Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Naja, Wadih J; Kansoun, Alaa H; Haddad, Ramzi S

2016-05-31

The prevalence of major depression is particularly high in medical students, affecting around one-third of this population. Moreover, online social media, in particular Facebook, is becoming an intrinsic part in the life of a growing proportion of individuals worldwide. Our primary objective is to identify the prevalence of depression in medical students at the Lebanese University Faculty of Medicine, a unique state university in Lebanon, its correlation with the utilization of the interactive features of Facebook, and the way students may resort to these features. Students of the Lebanese University Faculty of Medicine were assessed for (1) depression and (2) Facebook activity. To screen for major depression, we used the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale. To test for Facebook activity, we developed the Facebook Resorting Questionnaire (FbRQ), which measures the degree to which students resort to Facebook. A total of 365 out of 480 students (76.0%) participated in the survey. A total of 25 students were excluded, hence 340 students were included in the final analysis. Current depression was reported in 117 students out of 340 (34.4%) and t tests showed female predominance. Moreover, PHQ-9 score multiple regression analysis showed that feeling depressed is explained 63.5% of the time by specific independent variables studied from the PHQ-9 and the FbRQ. Depression varied significantly among the different academic years (PFacebook had a positive and significant relationship (P=.003) and the different FbRQ categories had significant differences in resorting-to-Facebook power. The like, add friend, and check-in features students used when resorting to Facebook were significantly associated with depression. This study showed that depression was highly prevalent among students of the Faculty of Medicine at the Lebanese University. Moreover, Facebook may be a promising, helpful, psychological tool for optimizing the management of depression. Our study brought

[Enlightenment of drug application and evaluation procedures of medicines registered (listed) in Australia on studies of new traditional Chinese medicines].

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Jian-Xun; Liu, Jian-Xun

2014-11-01

Modern and international studies on new traditional Chinese medicines are the main trend of the development of traditional Chinese medicines at present. In Australia, new traditional Chinese medicines refer to complementary medicines, which are mainly registered and launched as listed medicines. The application documents of registered (listed) medicines in Australia mainly cover detailed description of active pharmaceutical ingredients, pharmacological and toxicological studies, dosage form and adverse effects. Each part has detailed specifications and instructions, which helps ensure that applicants could accurately understand the requirements in application for registering (listing) medicines, and provides very important reference to the studies and development of new traditional Chinese medicines in China.

Prevalence and correlates of coronary heart disease: first population-based study in Lebanon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeidan RK

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Rouba Karen Zeidan,1 Rita Farah,2 Mirna N Chahine,3 Roland Asmar,3 Hassan Hosseini,4,5 Pascale Salameh,6,7 Atul Pathak8 1Doctoral School of Biology Health and Biotechnologies, Toulouse III University, Toulouse, 2Doctoral School of Life and Health Sciences, Paris-Est University, Creteil, France; 3Foundation-Medical Research Institutes, F-MRI®, Beirut, Lebanon; 4Department of Neurology, Henri Mondor Hospital AP-HP, 5EA 4391, Nerve Excitability and Therapeutics, Université Paris-Est, Creteil, France; 6School of Pharmacy, Lebanese American University, Byblos, 7Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiology Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon; 8Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hypertension, Risk Factors and Heart Failure Unit, Clinique Pasteur, Toulouse, France Background: Lebanon is experiencing a growing epidemic of coronary heart diseases (CHDs, as most low- and middle-income countries currently are. However, this growth can be attenuated if effective preventive strategies are adopted. Purpose: To provide the first national population-based prevalence of CHD and to describe the profile of Lebanese adults with prevalent CHD. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study using a multistage cluster sample across Lebanon. We interviewed residents aged 40 years and older using a questionnaire that captured the presence of CHDs and their risk factors (RFs. Results: Our study showed that 13.4% of the Lebanese population aged ≥40 years suffer from a prevalent CHD. CHD seemed to appear more prematurely than in developed countries, and males seemed to be more subject to CHD than females until a certain age. CHD was associated with older age, male sex, a lower economic situation, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, having a family history of premature cardiovascular diseases, and suffering from diabetes. However, smoking and waist circumference did not seem to have an independent effect on CHD, but rather an effect

Parkinson's disease prevalence in Fabry disease: A survey study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adina H. Wise

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Recent research has suggested a possible link between Parkinson's disease (PD and Fabry disease. To test this relationship, we administered a self-report and family history questionnaire to determine the prevalence of PD in Fabry disease patients and family members with likely pathogenic alpha-galactosidase A (GLA mutations. A total of 90 Fabry patients (77 from the online survey and 13 from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS were included in the analysis. Two of the Fabry disease patients who completed the online survey were diagnosed with PD (2/90, 2.2%. Among probands older than 60, 8.3% (2/24 were diagnosed with PD. Using Kaplan Meier survival analysis, the age-specific risk of PD by age 70 was 11.1%. Family history was available on 72 Fabry families from the online study and 9 Fabry families from ISMMS. Among these 81 families, 6 (7.4% had one first degree relative who fit the criteria for a conservative diagnosis of PD. The results of this study suggest that there may be an increased risk of developing PD in individuals with GLA mutations, but these findings should be interpreted with caution given the limitations of the study design.

Prevalence and pattern of self-medication in Karachi: A community survey

Science.gov (United States)

Afridi, M. Iqbal; Rasool, Ghulam; Tabassum, Rabia; Shaheen, Marriam; Siddiqullah; Shujauddin, M.

2015-01-01

Objective: To study the prevalence and pattern of self-medication among adult males and females in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: This cross-sectional community- based survey was carried out at five randomly selected towns of Karachi (Defence, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, North Nazimabad, Malir, Orangi town) over a period of 3 months (October, November & December 2012). A sample size of 500 adult cases (250 males & 250 females), with systemic random selection from different towns of Karachi were inducted in this study. The city was divided in 5 zones and one town from each zone was selected by systemic randomization. First available male and female from each randomly selected house were included in the study. After consent and confidentiality assurance they were interviewed on semi-structured Performa designed for this purpose. Results were analyzed and tabulated through SPSS v14.0. Result: The prevalence of self-medication in males and females in Karachi is found to be 84.8% (males 88.4% and females 81.2%). The most frequent symptoms for which self-medication used were headache (32.7%), fever (23.3%) and the medicines used were painkillers (28.8%), fever reducer medicines (19.8%). The most common reason 33.3% was previous experience with similar symptom. Conclusion: Self-medication is highly prevalent (84.8%) in Karachi. It was frequently used for headache followed by fever. Predominantly painkillers, fever reducer and cough syrups were used in the form of tablets and syrups. Main source of medicines for males were friends and for females were relatives. PMID:26649022

Burnout among nursing staff in accident and emergency and acute medicine: a comparative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillespie, Mark; Melby, Vidar

2003-11-01

This study was designed to identify the prevalence of burnout among nurses working in Accident and Emergency (A & E) and acute medicine, to establish factors that contribute to stress and burnout, to determine the experiences of nurses affected by it and highlight its effects on patient care and to determine if stress and burnout have any effects on individuals outside the clinical setting. A triangulated research design was used incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods. Maslach Burnout Inventory was used. Nurses working in acute medicine experienced higher levels of emotional exhaustion than their A & E counterparts. The overall level of depersonalization was low. High levels of personal accomplishment were experienced less by junior members of staff. Stress and burnout have far reaching effects both for nurses in their clinical practice and personal lives. If nurses continue to work in their current environment without issues being tackled, then burnout will result. The science of nursing does not have to be painful, but by recognition of the existence of stress and burnout we can take the first steps towards their prevention.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Constitutional Medicine in China, Japan and Korea: A Comparative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wenjun; Ma, Mingyue; Chen, Xuemei; Min, Jiayu; Li, Lingru; Zheng, Yanfei; Li, Yingshuai; Wang, Ji; Wang, Qi

2017-01-01

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Japanese-Chinese medicine, and Korean Sasang constitutional medicine have common origins. However, the constitutional medicines of China, Japan, and Korea differ because of the influence of geographical culture, social environment, national practices, and other factors. This paper aimed to compare the constitutional medicines of China, Japan, and Korea in terms of theoretical origin, constitutional classification, constitution and pathogenesis, clinical applications and basic studies that were conducted. The constitutional theories of the three countries are all derived from the Canon of Internal Medicine or Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases of Ancient China. However, the three countries have different constitutional classifications and criteria. Medical sciences in the three countries focus on the clinical applications of constitutional theory. They all agree that different pathogenic laws that guide the treatment of diseases govern different constitutions; thus, patients with different constitutions are treated differently. The three countries also differ in terms of drug formulations and medication. Japanese medicine is prescribed only based on constitution. Korean medicine is based on treatment, in which drugs cannot be mixed. TCM synthesize the treatment model of constitution differentiation, disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation with the treatment thought of treating disease according to three categories of etiologic factors, which reflect the constitution as the characteristic of individual precision treatment. In conclusion, constitutional medicines of China, Japan, and Korea have the same theoretical origin, but differ in constitutional classification, clinical application of constitutional theory on the treatment of diseases, drug formulations and medication.

An insight into the use of complementary and alternative medicines ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) are increasingly popular globally with frequent use amongst patients with atopic eczema (AE). Despite increased AE prevalence in South Africa (SA), no local data on CAM-use for this disease exists. Methods: A cross-sectional study utilizing a comprehensive ...

Evaluation of self-medication amongst university students in Abbottabad, Pakistan; prevalence, attitude and causes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Hanif; Khan, Shujaat A; Ali, Sayyad; Karim, Sabiha; Baseer, Abdul; Chohan, Ossam; Hassan, Syed M F; Khan, Kashif M; Murtaza, Ghulam

2013-01-01

Self-medication is a serious issue in most parts of the world. This study aims to evaluate self-medication among university students of Abbottabad, Pakistan. This cross-sectional survey study was carried out in COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad during December 1 - December 31,2011. A sample of 275 students was selected for the study using convenience method of sampling. Data were managed and analyzed via SPSS version 16.0. Inferences were drawn using Z-test Out of 268 respondents (male = 61.6%, female = 38.6%), 138 were non-health professional students whereas 130 were health professional students. The prevalence of self-medication was 95.5%. Most common factor (45.7%) responsible for self-medication was "low severity of disease". Most common symptom (50.8%) that caused self-medication and stocking of medicines was "storage of medicines for multi purposes". Some respondents (22.7%) got addicted due to self-medication. Most of the students trust in allopathic medicines system. High prevalence of self-medication can be controlled through regulatory authorities, mass education and availability of health facilities.

Prevalence of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease seen in internal medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Bureo, Juan Carlos; Arévalo, Jose Carlos; Antón, Joaquín; Adrados, Gaspar; Jiménez Morales, Jose Luis; Robles, Nicolás Roberto

2015-01-01

Despite the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the elderly population, few data are available on the frequency of secondary hyperparathyroidism in the Spanish population affected by this problem. We undertook a study on this issue in patients attending the internal medicine departments in our area. An observational, cross-sectional survey performed at internal medicine departments on 415 patients with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease. Clinical history and risk factors were collected using a standardized protocol. Serum creatinine, phosphate, calcium, intact parathormone (PTH) and 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol (25-OH-vitD) levels were measured in all patients. Among stage 3 patients, 62.9% had PTH levels ≥70pg/mL and 32.7% levels ≥110pg/mL. Median PTH level in stage 4 patients was 120pg/mL (p <0.001), and 77.9% of these patients had PTH ≥70pg/mL (p <0.001) and 54.1% ≥110pg/mL (p=0.015). Adequate 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol levels were found in only 7.2% of stage 3 patients and 4.1% of stage 4 patients. Only 7.2% of stage 3 patients had hyperphosphatemia, as compared to 25.4% of stage 4 patients (p <0.001). Hyperparathyroidism is a common complication of stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease which is not associated to detectable changes in serum calcium and phosphate levels. It is therefore advisable to measure PTH levels in all patients with decreased glomerular filtration rate. Copyright © 2015 SEEN. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Individualized prevention against hypertension based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution Theory: A large community-based retrospective, STROBE-compliant study among Chinese population.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ying; Li, Xiao-Hui; Huang, Xin; Yin, Lu; Guo, Cheng-Xian; Liu, Chang; He, Yong-Mei; Liu, Xing; Yuan, Hong

2017-11-01

Traditional Chinese Medicine Constitution (TCMC) theory states that individuals with a biased TCMC are more likely to suffer from specific diseases. However, little is known regarding the influence of TCMC on susceptibility to hypertension. The aim of this study is to examine the possible relationship between TCMC and hypertension. Retrospective evaluation and observation were performed using the STROBE guidelines checklist. A large community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 2009 and 2013 in Changsha, China. TCMC was assessed using a questionnaire that included 68 items. TCMC distributions and the associations of different TCMCs with hypertension risk were analyzed. In total, 144,439 subjects underwent evaluations of TCMC and blood pressure (BP). There were significant differences in the hypertension prevalence among the various TCMC groups (P medicine criteria; for example, phlegm wetness with hypertension was similar to obesity-related hypertension. Our results suggest that phlegm wetness, yin deficiency, blood stasis, and qi deficiency have different effects on the prevalence of hypertension. More attention should be paid to TCMCs associated with susceptibility to hypertension, and corresponding preventive and therapeutic treatments should be developed according to different TCMCs.

Herbal Remedies for Functional Dyspepsia and Traditional Iranian Medicine Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Babaeian, Mahmoud; Naseri, Mohsen; Kamalinejad, Mohammad; Ghaffari, Farzaneh; Emadi, Fatemeh; Feizi, Awat; Hosseini Yekta, Nafiseh; Adibi, Peyman

2015-01-01

Context: Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a functional gastro-intestinal disorder with high prevalence. Among various treatment options, treatment by complementary and alternative medicines especially herbal remedies also practiced. Traditional Iranian medicine (TIM), a valuable resource of valid applied studies of ancient Iranian scholars, recommends numerous medicinal plants to treat dyspepsia symptoms. In this study, through investigation of TIM references, we aimed to identify medicinal plants for treatment of digestion insufficiency. Evidence Acquisition: In this qualitative study, dyspepsia symptoms including fullness, early satiety, bloating, nausea, and belching were checked under reliable sources of traditional medicine. Then medicinal plants recommended for the treatment of the symptoms were extracted from the books. Likewise, for investigating the pharmacological properties of medicinal plants used for the relieving of dyspepsia symptoms, electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and some Iranian databases like SID and IranMedex were employed. Results: The study yielded 105 plants from 37 families which could treat various dyspepsia symptoms; fifty-seven plants, mainly from Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Amaryllidaceae and Zingiberaceae had digestive effects. In this research, based on the information in TIM reference texts, we obtained 58 plants effective for bloating, 40 for nausea, 37 for appetite loss and 7 for belching. In human clinical trials conducted on medicinal plants effective for FD symptoms, 7 single plants were used. Conclusions: Finding the medicinal plants effective on digestion insufficiency based on TIM could suggest a better strategy for the relieving of dyspepsia symptoms. Traditional Iranian medicine prescribes medicinal plants based on each patient’s personal characteristics and practices multiple target therapies. PMID:26734483

Prevalence of dental anomalies in Indian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, Santosh; Doni, Bharati; Kaswan, Sumita; Rahman, Farzan

2013-10-01

Developmental anomalies of the dentition are not infrequently observed by the dental practitioner. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of dental anomalies in the Indian population. A retrospective study of 4133 panoramic radiographs of patients, who attended the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Jodhpur Dental College General Hospital between September 2008 to December 2012 was done. The ages of the patients ranged from 13 to 38 years with a mean age of 21.8 years. The orthopantomographs (OPGs) and dental records were examined for any unusual finding such as congenitally missing teeth, impactions, ectopic eruption, supernumerary teeth, odontoma, dilacerations, taurodontism, dens in dente, germination and fusion, among others. 1519 (36.7%) patients had at least one dental anomaly. The congenitally missing teeth 673 (16.3%) had the highest prevalence, followed by impacted teeth 641 (15.5%), supernumerary teeth 51 (1.2%) and microdontia 41 (1.0%). Other anomalies were found at lower prevalence ranging from transposition 7 (0.1%) to ectopic eruption 30 (0.7%). The most prevalent anomaly in the Indian population was congenitally missing teeth (16.3%), and the second frequent anomaly was impacted teeth (15.5%), whereas, macrodontia, odontoma and transposition were the least frequent anomalies, with a prevalence of 0.2%, 0.2% and 0.1% respectively. While the overall prevalence of these anomalies may be low, the early diagnosis is imperative for the patient management and treatment planning. Key words:Dental anomaly, prevalence, panoramic radiography.

Prevalence of clinically elevated depressive symptoms in college athletes and differences by gender and sport.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolanin, Andrew; Hong, Eugene; Marks, Donald; Panchoo, Kelly; Gross, Michael

2016-02-01

There are approximately 400,000 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student athletes and 5-7 million high school student athletes competing each year. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, the depression prevalence rate for young adults, which ranges from 10% to 85% across studies, is higher than that of other age groups. Given the relatively high prevalence of depression in individuals of collegiate age in the general population, the prevalence of depression among athletes in this age group warrants further study. This multiyear study examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms in college athletes, as well as demographic factors related to increased or decreased rates of depressive symptoms by gender and sport. To describe the prevalence of depression symptoms among NCAA division I student athletes at a single institution over 3 consecutive years. Participants (n=465) completed a battery of measures during their yearly spring sports medicine physical across 3 consecutive years. The battery included the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and a demographic questionnaire, administered during the course of routine sports medicine physical examinations. Differences in depressive symptoms prevalence and relative risk ratios were calculated by gender and sport. The prevalence rate for a clinically relevant level of depressive symptoms, as measured on the CES-D (CES-D ≥16), was 23.7%. A moderate to severe level of depressive symptoms was reported by 6.3%. There was a significant gender difference in prevalence of depressive symptoms, χ(2) (1)=7.459, p=0.006, with female athletes exhibiting 1.844 times the risk of male athletes for endorsing clinically relevant symptoms. The CES-D identified clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms in nearly one-quarter of college student athletes in this large cross-sectional sample. Female college athletes reported significantly more depressive symptoms than males

Alexandria Journal of Medicine

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Alexandria Journal of Medicine is concerned with providing a venue for publication of research, with a particular focus on diseases of high prevalence in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and its comparison to their profile worldwide. Manuscripts from the international scientific community are also welcome to cater ...

High prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with genetically proven mitochondrial disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Franik, Sebastian; Huidekoper, Hidde H; Visser, Gepke; de Vries, Maaike; de Boer, Lonneke; Hermans-Peters, Marion; Rodenburg, Richard; Verhaak, Chris; Vlieger, Arine M; Smeitink, Jan A M; Janssen, Mirian C H; Wortmann, Saskia B

2015-05-01

Despite major advances in understanding the pathophysiology of mitochondrial diseases, clinical management of these conditions remains largely supportive, and no effective treatment is available. We therefore assumed that the burden of disease combined with the lack of adequate treatment leaves open a big market for complementary and alternative medicine use. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use and perceived effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine in children and adults with genetically proven mitochondrial disease. The reported use was surprisingly high, with 88% of children and 91% of adults having used some kind of complementary and alternative medicine in the last 2 years. Also, the mean cost of these treatments was impressive, being 489/year for children and 359/year for adult patients. Over-the-counter remedies (e.g., food supplements, homeopathy) and self-help techniques (e.g., Reiki, yoga) were the most frequently used complementary and alternative therapies in our cohort: 54% of children and 60% of adults reported the various complementary and alternative medicine therapies to be effective. Given the fact that currently no effective treatment exists, further research toward the different therapies is needed, as our study clearly demonstrates that such therapies are highly sought after by affected patients.

Quality Assessment of Research Articles in Nuclear Medicine Using STARD and QUADAS-2 Tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roysri, Krisana; Chotipanich, Chanisa; Laopaiboon, Vallop; Khiewyoo, Jiraporn

2014-01-01

Diagnostic nuclear medicine is being increasingly employed in clinical practice with the advent of new technologies and radiopharmaceuticals. The report of the prevalence of a certain disease is important for assessing the quality of that article. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the quality of published nuclear medicine articles and determine the frequency of reporting the prevalence of studied diseases. We used Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) and Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) checklists for evaluating the quality of articles published in five nuclear medicine journals with the highest impact factors in 2012. The articles were retrieved from Scopus database and were selected and assessed independently by two nuclear medicine physicians. Decision concerning equivocal data was made by consensus between the reviewers. The average STARD score was approximately 17 points, and the highest score was 17.19±2.38 obtained by the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine. QUADAS-2 tool showed that all journals had low bias regarding study population. The Journal of Nuclear Medicine had the highest score in terms of index test, reference standard, and time interval. Lack of clarity regarding the index test, reference standard, and time interval was frequently observed in all journals including Clinical Nuclear Medicine, in which 64% of the studies were unclear regarding the index test. Journal of Nuclear Cardiology had the highest number of articles with appropriate reference standard (83.3%), though it had the lowest frequency of reporting disease prevalence (zero reports). All five journals had the same STARD score, while index test, reference standard, and time interval were very unclear according to QUADAS-2 tool. Unfortunately, data were too limited to determine which journal had the lowest risk of bias. In fact, it is the author's responsibility to provide details of research methodology so that the

Recent developments in our understanding of the implications of traditional African medicine on drug metabolism.

Science.gov (United States)

Gouws, Chrisna; Hamman, Josias H

2018-02-01

The use of traditional herbal medicines has become increasingly popular globally, but in some countries, it is the main or sometimes even the only healthcare service available in the most rural areas. This is especially true for Africa where herbal medicines form a key component of traditional medicinal practices and there is access to a diversity of medicinal plants. Although many benefits have been derived from the use of traditional herbal medicines, many concerns are associated with their use of which herb-drug interactions have been identified to have a rising impact on patient treatment outcome. One type of pharmacokinetic interaction involves the modulation of drug metabolizing enzymes, which may result in enhanced or reduced bioavailability of co-administered drugs. Areas covered: This review highlights the current information available on drug metabolism-associated information with regards to traditional African medicines related to some of the most prevalent diseases burdening the African continent. Expert opinion: It is clear from previous studies that enzyme modulation by traditional African medicines plays a significant role in the pharmacokinetics of some co-administered drugs, but more research is needed to provide detailed information on these interactions, specifically for treatment of prevalent diseases such as tuberculosis and hypertension.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine among people living with diabetes in Sydney

OpenAIRE

Manya, Kiran; Champion, Bernard; Dunning, Trisha

2012-01-01

Abstract Background Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is common in patients with chronic disease such as diabetes mellitus. The primary objective of the study was to determine the overall prevalence and type of CAM use in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Western Sydney and to compare the prevalence and factors associated with CAM use with the literature. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was undertaken using a self-completed questionnaire distributed to patients...

Psycho-socioeconomic factors affecting complementary and alternative medicine use among selected rural communities in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ganasegeran, Kurubaran; Rajendran, Anantha Kumar; Al-Dubai, Sami Abdo Radman

2014-01-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a source of cure has gained much spectrum worldwide, despite skeptics and advocates of evidence-based practice conceptualized such therapies as human nostrum. This study aimed to explore the factors affecting CAM use among rural communities in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 288 occupants across four rural villages within the District of Selama, Perak, Malaysia. A survey that consisted of socio-economic characteristics, history of CAM use and the validated Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (HCAMQ) were used. The prevalence of self-reported CAM use over the past one year was 53.1%. Multiple logistic regression analyses yielded three significant predictors of CAM use: monthly household income of less than MYR 2500, higher education level, and positive attitude towards CAM. Psycho-socioeconomic factors were significantly associated with CAM use among rural communities in Malaysia.

Social class variation in medicine use among adolescents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holstein, Bjørn E; Hansen, Ebba Holme; Due, Pernille

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: Little is known about social determinants of adolescents' medicine use. The objective was to analyse the association between the family's social class and adolescents' use of medicine for headache, stomachache, difficulties in getting to sleep, and nervousness. METHODS: Cross......, participation rate 88%, n=5,205. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses showed that medicine use for all four symptoms increased by decreasing social class, controlled for age and prevalence of the specific symptom for which the medicine was taken. Adjusted OR (95% CI) for medicine use among students from lower...... social classes were: medicine for headache 1.35 (1.11-1.65), medicine for stomachache 1.41 (1.08-1.84), medicine for difficulties in getting to sleep 2.00 (1.30-3.08), and medicine for nervousness 3.22 (1.87-5.56). CONCLUSION: Symptom-adjusted medicine use in a representative sample of Danish adolescents...

New Zealand Health Survey 2012/13: characteristics of medicinal cannabis users.

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Pledger, Megan; Martin, Greg; Cumming, Jacqueline

2016-04-22

To explore the characteristics of medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis users, and the conditions that were treated with cannabis. The data comes from the New Zealand Health Survey 2012/2013, which sampled 13,009 people, aged 15+ years, living in private or non-private dwellings in New Zealand. Participants self-reported cannabis use and were put into groups: 1) non-users; 2) ex-users; 3) last year users-non-medicinal; 4) last-year users-medicinal. Prevalence was reported for the major demographic subgroups; sex, age and ethnicity. Regression models were then used to find associations between demographic characteristics and cannabis use for groups 3 and 4. About five percent (4.6%, 95% CI 4.1-5.1) of those aged 15+ report using cannabis medicinally. This use was associated with being male, younger, less well-educated and relatively poor. While Māori have the highest prevalence of medicinal use, European NZ/Others make up 67.9% (95% CI 62.7-72.6) of medicinal users. Reported medicinal use was associated with reported conditions that were typically hard to manage: pain, anxiety/nerves and depression. Medicinal users were more likely to report chronic pain and pain interfering, moderately or more, with housework and other work.

Some Notes on Critical Appraisal of Prevalence Studies; Comment on: “The Development of a Critical Appraisal Tool for Use in Systematic Reviews Addressing Questions of Prevalence”

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Thomas Harder

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Decisions in healthcare should be based on information obtained according to the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM. An increasing number of systematic reviews are published which summarize the results of prevalence studies. Interpretation of the results of these reviews should be accompanied by an appraisal of the methodological quality of the included data and studies. The critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies developed and tested by Munn et al. comprises 10 items and aims at targeting all kinds of prevalence studies. This comment discusses the pros and cons of different designs of quality appraisal tools and highlights their importance for systematic reviews of prevalence studies. Beyond piloting, which has been performed in the study by Munn et al., it is suggested here that the validity of the tool should be tested, including reproducibility and inter-rater reliability. It is concluded that studies as the one by Munn et al. will help to establish a critical understanding of methodological quality and will support the use of systematic reviews of non-intervention studies for health policy making.

Stress and Its Effects on Medical Students: A Cross-sectional Study at a College of Medicine in Saudi Arabia

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Abdulghani, Hamza M.; AlKanhal, Abdulaziz A.; Mahmoud, Ebrahim S.; Ponnamperuma, Gominda G.; Alfaris, Eiad A.

2011-01-01

Medical education is perceived as being stressful, and a high level of stress may have a negative effect on cognitive functioning and learning of students in a medical school. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of stress among medical students and to observe an association between the levels of stress and their academic performance, including the sources of their stress. All the medical students from year one to year five levels from the College of Medicine, ...

Traditional medicine practices among community members with chronic kidney disease in northern Tanzania: an ethnomedical survey.

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Stanifer, John W; Lunyera, Joseph; Boyd, David; Karia, Francis; Maro, Venance; Omolo, Justin; Patel, Uptal D

2015-10-23

In sub-Saharan Africa, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is being recognized as a non-communicable disease (NCD) with high morbidity and mortality. In countries like Tanzania, people access many sources, including traditional medicines, to meet their healthcare needs for NCDs, but little is known about traditional medicine practices among people with CKD. Therefore, we sought to characterize these practices among community members with CKD in northern Tanzania. Between December 2013 and June 2014, we administered a previously-developed survey to a random sample of adult community-members from the Kilimanjaro Region; the survey was designed to measure traditional medicine practices such as types, frequencies, reasons, and modes. Participants were also tested for CKD, diabetes, hypertension, and HIV as part of the CKD-AFRiKA study. To identify traditional medicines used in the local treatment of kidney disease, we reviewed the qualitative sessions which had previously been conducted with key informants. We enrolled 481 adults of whom 57 (11.9 %) had CKD. The prevalence of traditional medicine use among adults with CKD was 70.3 % (95 % CI 50.0-84.9 %), and among those at risk for CKD (n = 147; 30.6 %), it was 49.0 % (95 % CI 33.1-65.0 %). Among adults with CKD, the prevalence of concurrent use of traditional medicine and biomedicine was 33.2 % (11.4-65.6 %). Symptomatic ailments (66.7 %; 95 % CI 17.3-54.3), malaria/febrile illnesses (64.0 %; 95 % CI 44.1-79.9), and chronic diseases (49.6 %; 95 % CI 28.6-70.6) were the most prevalent uses for traditional medicines. We identified five plant-based traditional medicines used for the treatment of kidney disease: Aloe vera, Commifora africana, Cymbopogon citrullus, Persea americana, and Zanthoxylum chalybeum. The prevalence of traditional medicine use is high among adults with and at risk for CKD in northern Tanzania where they use them for a variety of conditions including other NCDs. Additionally, many of these same people

Traditional herbal medicine use among people living with HIV/AIDS in Gondar, Ethiopia: Do their health care providers know?

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Haile, Kaleab Taye; Ayele, Asnakew Achaw; Mekuria, Abebe Basazn; Demeke, Chilot Abiyu; Gebresillassie, Begashaw Melaku; Erku, Daniel Asfaw

2017-12-01

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are increasingly using herbal remedies due to the chronic nature of the disease, the complexities of treatment modalities and the difficulty in adhering to the therapeutic regimens. Yet, research on herbal medicine use in this patient population is scarce in Ethiopia. The present study aimed at investigating the prevalence and factors associated with the use of traditional herbal medicine among PLWHA in Gondar, Ethiopia. A cross sectional survey was conducted on 360 PLWHA attending the outpatient clinic of University of Gondar referral and teaching hospital from September 1 to 30, 2016. A questionnaire about the socio-demographic, disease characteristics as well as traditional herbal medicine use was filled by the respondents. Descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine prevalence and correlates of herbal medicine use. Out of 360 respondents, 255 (70.8%) used traditional herbal medicine. The most common herbal preparations used by PLWHA were Ginger (Zingiber officinale) (47%), Garlic (Allium sativum L.) (40.8%) and Moringa (Moringa stenopetala) (31.4%). Majority of herbal medicine users rarely disclose their use of herbal medicines to their health care providers (61.2%). Only lower educational status was found to be strong predictors of herbal medicine use in the multivariate logistic regression. The use of herbal medicine among PLWHA is a routine practice and associated with a lower educational status. Patients also rarely disclose their use of herbal medicines to their health care providers. From the stand point of high prevalence and low disclosure rate, health care providers should often consult patients regarding herbal medicine use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil-transmitted helminths in pre-school-aged and school-aged children in an urban slum: a cross-sectional study of prevalence, distribution, and associated exposures.

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Davis, Stephanie M; Worrell, Caitlin M; Wiegand, Ryan E; Odero, Kennedy O; Suchdev, Parminder S; Ruth, Laird J; Lopez, Gerard; Cosmas, Leonard; Neatherlin, John; Njenga, Sammy M; Montgomery, Joel M; Fox, LeAnne M

2014-11-01

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are controlled by regular mass drug administration. Current practice targets school-age children (SAC) preferentially over pre-school age children (PSAC) and treats large areas as having uniform prevalence. We assessed infection prevalence in SAC and PSAC and spatial infection heterogeneity, using a cross-sectional study in two slum villages in Kibera, Nairobi. Nairobi has low reported STH prevalence. The SAC and PSAC were randomly selected from the International Emerging Infections Program's surveillance platform. Data included residence location and three stools tested by Kato-Katz for STHs. Prevalences among 692 analyzable children were any STH: PSAC 40.5%, SAC 40.7%; Ascaris: PSAC 24.1%, SAC 22.7%; Trichuris: PSAC 24.0%, SAC 28.8%; hookworm slums should be assessed separately in STH mapping. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

A Study Of Prevalence Of Obesity In Adult Punjabi Population

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Pooja Goyal

2006-06-01

Full Text Available   Introduction : Obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally with more than 1 billion overweight, Atleast 300 million of them are clinically obese and is a major contributor to the global burden of chronic disease and disability (1. Long considered a buy product of modern life in rich, developed contries, obesity is spreading to developing contries as well. Two critical factors that have influenced this explosion are changes in dietary patterns and levels of physical activity. The latest list of morbidity associated with obesity includes about forty diseases. Though, prevalence of co-morbidities of obesity is quite high among adults in India yet there are relatively less reliable and representative data available. Hence, this study was carried out. Material & Methods : It was a community based, cross sectional study conducted in field practice areas at Rural Health Centre (RHC, Pohir and Urban Health Centre (UHC, Kirti Nagar attached to the department of Community Medicine, DMC & Hospital Ludhiana. Field practice area of RHC is composed of 10 villages serving a total population of 20,450. The Urban health Centre covers ten colonies having a total populaation of 20.645.

Use of herbal medicine among pregnant women on antenatal care at nekemte hospital, Western ethiopia.

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Bayisa, Bodena; Tatiparthi, Ramanjireddy; Mulisa, Eshetu

2014-11-01

Investigations across the world confirm dramatic increment in the use of complementary and alternative medicine in pregnant women. The most important aspect is lack of awareness of pregnant women about potential effects of using traditional medicine on fetus; some herbal products may be teratogenic in human and animal models. In this area, so far, no research has been conducted in Ethiopia to assess traditional medicine use in pregnant women. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and use of herbal drugs among pregnant women attending Nekemte Hospital to provide baseline information for future studies. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by quantitative and qualitative approaches to identify the prevalence of using herbal medicines among pregnant women. About 50.4% of study participants used herbal drugs during their pregnancy. The proportion of herbal drug usage was gradually decreased along with the first, second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The most and least commonly used herbs were ginger (44.36%) and tenaadam (9.15 %), respectively. The common indications of herbal remedies use during pregnancy were nausea (23.90%) and morning sickness (21.05%). The result of the present study confirmed wide use of herbal drugs use during pregnancy that need to report the safety concerns of these drugs during pregnancy. To achieve the requirements of pregnant women, it is vital for health care workers to be familiar with the effect of herbal medicine in pregnancy.

Complementary and alternative medicine use in asthma: who is using what?

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Slader, Cassandra A; Reddel, Helen K; Jenkins, Christine R; Armour, Carol L; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z

2006-07-01

Consumer interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown dramatically in Western countries in the past decade. However, very few patients volunteer information about CAM use unless directly questioned by their health-care practitioner. Therefore, by being informed about the prevalence and modality of CAM use for asthma, as well as characteristics of users, health-care practitioners may be better able to identify patients who use CAM. In turn, this may facilitate proactive discussion and optimization of the patient's overall asthma management. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about use of CAM by people with asthma, and to assess the applicability of the available studies to the broader asthmatic population. Computerized literature searches were conducted on Medline, Embase, Cochrane and Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED) databases from their inception to 13 April 2005. Search terms included: complementary medicine/therapies, alternative medicine/therapies and asthma. The bibliographies of accessible articles were searched for further papers. Seventeen studies have examined the use of CAM by people with asthma. The reported level of use for adults ranged from 4% to 79%, and for children from 33% to 89%. Among the most commonly used CAMs were: breathing techniques, herbal products, homeopathy and acupuncture. There is no strong evidence for effectiveness for any of these modalities. There is little consistency among available prevalence studies making conclusions difficult. Nevertheless, the high rates of CAM use reported in some studies indicate that CAM use should be taken into account when managing patients with asthma.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with localized prostate carcinoma. Study at a single institute in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimura, Koji; Ichioka, Kentaro; Terada, Naoki; Terai, Akito; Arai, Yoichi

2003-01-01

The use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) has recently received considerable attention throughout the world. We evaluated the prevalence and predictors of CAM use among Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer. A total of 177 patients with localized prostate carcinoma underwent radical retropubic prostatecotomy or external beam radiation therapy between January 1994 and January 2001. Of them, 138 (78%) answered a self-administered questionnaire on CAM use and were eligible for this study. The overall prevalence, types of CAM used, and costs of CAM were assessed. The effects of age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, clinical stage, pretreatment Gleason score, patients' income, patients' final educational status, and general health-related quality of life at baseline and 1 year after treatment, as estimated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Prostate Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire on the prevalence of CAM use, were evaluated. Twenty-seven patients (20%) had once used or had been using some types of CAM. Herbal medicine and vitamins were the most common types of CAM used. Preoperative Gleason score was significantly associated with CAM use, as determined by the χ''2 test (P0.0198), and PSA level and posttreatment physical function domain were marginally associated with CAM use, as determined by the Mann-Whitney U-test (P=0.0734 and P=0.0597, respectively). Patient age, income, and final educational status had no impact on CAM use. A relatively small proportion of Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer have tried CAM compared with the proportions of patients described in previous reports from Western countries. (author)

Prevalence of self-medication in Brazil and associated factors.

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Arrais, Paulo Sérgio Dourado; Fernandes, Maria Eneida Porto; Pizzol, Tatiane da Silva Dal; Ramos, Luiz Roberto; Mengue, Sotero Serrate; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Tavares, Noemia Urruth Leão; Farias, Mareni Rocha; Oliveira, Maria Auxiliadora; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso

2016-12-01

To analyze the prevalence and associated factors regarding the use of medicines by self-medication in Brazil. This cross-sectional population-based study was conducted using data from the PNAUM (National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines), collected between September 2013 and February 2014 by interviews at the homes of the respondents. All people who reported using any medicines not prescribed by a doctor or dentist were classified as self-medication practitioners. Crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (Poisson regression) and their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated in order to investigate the factors associated with the use of self-medication by medicines. The independent variables were: sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions and access to and use of health services. In addition, the most commonly consumed medicines by self-medication were individually identified. The self-medication prevalence in Brazil was 16.1% (95%CI 15.0-17.5), with it being highest in the Northeast region (23.8%; 95%CI 21.6-26.2). Following the adjusted analysis, self-medication was observed to be associated with females, inhabitants from the North, Northeast and Midwest regions and individuals that have had one, or two or more chronic diseases. Analgesics and muscle relaxants were the therapeutic groups most used for self-medication, with dipyrone being the most consumed medicines. In general, most of the medicines used for self-medication were classified as non-prescriptive (65.5%). Self-medication is common practice in Brazil and mainly involves the use of non-prescription medicines; therefore, the users of such should be made aware of the possible risks. Analisar a prevalência e os fatores associados à utilização de medicamentos por automedicação no Brasil. Este estudo transversal de base populacional foi realizado com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de medicamentos (PNAUM

[Application progress of proteomic in pharmacological study of Chinese medicinal formulae].

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Liu, Yu-Qian; Zhan, Shu-Yu; Ruan, Yu-Er; Zuo, Zhi-Yan; Ji, Xiao-Ming; Wang, Shuai-Jie; Ding, Bao-Yue

2017-10-01

Chinese medicinal formulae are the important means of clinical treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. It is urgent to use modern advanced scientific and technological means to reveal the complicated mechanism of Chinese medicinal formulae because they have the function characteristics of multiple components, multiple targets and integrated regulation. The systematic and comprehensive research model of proteomic is in line with the function characteristics of Chinese medicinal formulae, and proteomic has been widely used in the study of pharmacological mechanism of Chinese medicinal formulae. The recent applications of proteomic in pharmacological study of Chinese medicinal formulae in anti-cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, anti-liver disease, antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases were reviewed in this paper, and then the future development direction of proteomic in pharmacological study of Chinese medicinal formulae was put forward. This review is to provide the ideas and method for proteomic research on function mechanism of Chinese medicinal formulae. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Toward precision medicine in Alzheimer's disease.

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Reitz, Christiane

2016-03-01

In Western societies, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death. In recent years, the concept of precision medicine, an approach for disease prevention and treatment that is personalized to an individual's specific pattern of genetic variability, environment and lifestyle factors, has emerged. While for some diseases, in particular select cancers and a few monogenetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, significant advances in precision medicine have been made over the past years, for most other diseases precision medicine is only in its beginning. To advance the application of precision medicine to a wider spectrum of disorders, governments around the world are starting to launch Precision Medicine Initiatives, major efforts to generate the extensive scientific knowledge needed to integrate the model of precision medicine into every day clinical practice. In this article we summarize the state of precision medicine in AD, review major obstacles in its development, and discuss its benefits in this highly prevalent, clinically and pathologically complex disease.

Inflated medicine prices in Vietnam: a qualitative study.

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Nguyen, Tuan Anh; Knight, Rosemary; Mant, Andrea; Razee, Husna; Brooks, Geoffrey; Dang, Thu Ha; Roughead, Elizabeth Ellen

2017-06-01

One third of the world's population lacks regular access to essential medicines partly because of the high cost of medicines. In Vietnam, the cost to patients of medicines was 47 times the international reference price for originator brands and 11 times the price for generic equivalents in the public sector. In this article, we report the results of a qualitative study conducted to identify the principal reasons for inflated medicine prices in Vietnam.Between April 2008 and December 2009, 29 semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff from pharmaceutical companies, private pharmacies, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam. Study participants were recruited using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded using NVivo8® software and analyzed using a framework of structure-conduct-performance (SCP).Participants attributed high prices of originator medicines to a monopoly of supply. The prices of generic medicines were also considered to be excessive, reportedly due to the need to recoup the cost of financial inducements paid to prescribers and procurement officers. These inducements constituted a dominant cost component of the end price of generic medicines. Poor market intelligence about current world prices, as well as failure to achieve economies of scale because of unwarranted duplication in pharmaceutical production and distribution system were also factors contributing to high prices. This was reported to be further compounded by multiple layers in the supply chain and unregulated retail mark-ups.To address these problems a multifaceted approach is needed encompassing policy and legislative responses. Policy options include establishing effective monitoring of medicine quality assurance, procurement, distribution and use. Rationalization of the domestic pharmaceutical production and distribution system to achieve economies of scale is also required. Appropriate

[Study on characteristics of pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicines distributing along lung meridian based on medicinal property combination].

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Gu, Hao; Zhang, Yan-Ling; Wang, Yun; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

2014-07-01

Medicinal properties are the basic attribute of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), while the medicinal property theory is the core theoretical foundation of TCM formula combination. In this particle, authors studied the characteristics of pharmacological effects of property combination of traditional Chinese medicines distributing along meridians, with the aim to introduce the medicinal property combination regularity into the design and optimization process of compound TCMs, and bring the medicinal property theory into full play in guiding the formula combination. In this paper, TCMs distributing along "the lung meridian" was taken for example. The medicinal property combinations of TCMs distributing along "the lung meridian" recorded in Pharmacopeia (2010) was collected and processed. Besides, Chinese journal full-text database (CNKI) was used to collect all of pharmacological study literatures concerning the above TCMs that have been published since 1980. The pharmacological information was also supplemented by reference to Science of Chinese Materia Medica and Clinical Science of Chinese Materia Medica. TCMs distributing along the lung meridian with different properties and tastes showed significant differences in pharmacological effects. For example, mild-sweet-lung medicines could lower blood sugar levels, decrease anoxia and enhance immunity; Mild-bitter-lung medicines showed anti-bacterial, anti-hypertension, anti-oxidation effects; Hot-sweet-lung medicines showed antibechic and anti-bacterial effects. And Hot-bitter-lung medicines showed phlegm eliminating and anti-inflammatory effects. Meanwhile, TCMs distributing along the lung meridian had similar pharmacological characteristics, such as anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, which is consistent with lung's feature in susceptibility to exogenous pathogenic factors. In this study, authors discovered pharmacological characteristics of different TCMs distributing along the lung meridian, which

Is complementary and alternative medicine effective in job satisfaction among dentists with musculoskeletal disorders? A cross sectional study.

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Gupta, Devanand; Bhaskar, Dara John; Gupta, Rajendra Kumar; Jain, Ankita; Yadav, Priyanka; Dalai, Deepak Ranjan; Singh, Rajeshwar; Singh, Nisha; Chaudhary, Varunjeet; Singh, Ankit; Yadav, Ankit; Karim, Bushra

2014-01-01

Musculoskeletal disorders have serious impact on the profession of dentistry. There is common occurrence of pain due to incorrect posture in dental professionals. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies may cast a new light on preventing and intercepting musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). An epidemiological study was conducted in an effort to contribute to the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in dentistry. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of MSD at dentists using CAM as a treatment and preventive modality for MSD and to compare job/career satisfaction between dentists who use CAM and conventional therapy (CT). Dentists registered in Uttrakhand state, India, under the Dental Council of India and registered members of the Indian Dental Association, Uttrakhand branch (N = 1496) were surveyed. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 17. A response rate of 84% (N = 1257) was obtained, revealing that 90% (N = 1131) had the problem of MSD. Seventy three percentage (N = 826) of dentists with MSD reported the use of CAM and CT. Complementary and alternative medicine users reported greater overall health (72.7% vs. 51%, p alternative medicine therapies may improve quality of life, reduce work interruption and enhance job satisfaction for dentists who suffers from MSD. Through the course of their studies, dentists should be equipped with knowledge on ergonomics and CAM therapies, such as yoga and others, to help them prevent musculoskeletal disorders more effectively.

Mechanisms of action of traditional herbal medicines used in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly in both developed and developing countries. There are various conventional medicines used for the management of the disease, but there is also increased interest in the use of traditional herbal medicines. Although the concepts of illness and diseases ...

The use of complementary and alternative medicine in chronic pain patients in Singapore: a single-centre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Michelle G E; Win, Ma Thin; Khan, Shariq Ali

2013-03-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Singapore for a variety of conditions has been reported to be high. However in Asian chronic pain patients, there is no data on their use of CAM and its perceived benefits. A cross-sectional survey of 210 patients was carried out in Pain Management Centre. Patients were interviewed directly on their use of CAM. The outcomes were prevalence of CAM use, the types of CAM used, the perceived efficacy and factors influencing its use. The prevalence of CAM users in chronic pain is 84%. The most common class of CAM is traditional Chinese medicine (68%) the subset of which, acupuncture, was most frequently utilised (49% of patients using CAM). In univariate analyses, ethnicity was significantly linked to CAM use but not gender, age, education level and income (P = 0.027). Specifically for neck pain, it was significant that patients were more likely to see a chiropractor, to use massage, to take take vitamins and ginseng to alleviate their symptoms. With upper limb pain, it was the use of Tui na, massage and seeing a TCM practitioner. For abdominal pain, it was the use of herbal medicines. The majority felt that CAM helped with their pain (72%) although less expressed satisfaction with CAM (64%). Reasons for using CAM included: having more control over their pain; fewer side effects; safety and lower costs compared to conventional medicine. The use of CAM in chronic pain patients is higher than the general population. Most felt that it improved their pain. As part of multimodal therapy, CAM may have a role in the management of chronic pain.

Studies on ethno medicinal plant diversity in an urban area – a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudipta Biswas

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The present study deals with the Ethno-medicinal plants used by the local communities in Santragachhi area, under Howrah Municipal Corporation, ward no. 38, District Howrah, West Bengal, India. An ethno medicinal survey was carried out the use of medicinal plants in Santragachi region. The information was gathered from the local community people using an integrated approach botanical collections, group discussion and interview with questionnaire during 2012-2013. Among 50 informants interviewed, 10 were tribal practitioners. A total of 53 genera and 33 families are documented. In most of case, fresh parts of the plants were used for the preparation of medicine. The results further revealed that the natives of this area are not very much practiced in using the medicinal plants in the treatment of human illness. The study area is delimited by number of wetlands and the people collect the aquatic plants by their habitual knowledge as food resources. But due to expansion of city area, road construction causes loss of plant diversity and random exploitation of natural resources many valuable medicinal plants are at the stage of extinction. The present study documented ethno medicinal plants were mostly used for treatment of various diseases.

Core Addiction Medicine Competencies for Doctors, An International Consultation on Training.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ayu, Astri Parawita

2017-07-18

Despite the high prevalence of substance use disorders, associated comorbidities and the evidence-base upon which to base clinical practice, most health systems have not invested in standardised training of healthcare providers in addiction medicine. As a result, people with substance use disorders often receive inadequate care, at the cost of quality of life and enormous direct health care costs and indirect societal costs. Therefore, we undertook this study to assess the views of international scholars, representing different countries, on the core set of addiction medicine competencies that need to be covered in medical education.

[Cross-sectional study of heart failure of patients intaked in an internal medicine service in the third level hospital in mixed area. Part II: prevalence and hypertension control].

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Cinza Sanjurjo, S; Cabarcos Ortiz de Barrón, A; Nieto Pol, E; Torre Carballada, J A

2007-07-01

To know the arterial hypertension prevalencia and hypertension control in the patients income by heart failure. A cross-sectional study of the intaked patients in the Internal Medicine Service in the Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela between 1999 to 2003. The variables analysed were: sex, age, days of hospital stay, number of intaked by failure cardiac, reason for admission (guide symptom), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiac disease, fibrillation atrium, previous treatment with beta-blockers, blood pressure in the admission moment, to make echocardiography, disfunction systolic, etiology, deceased, treatment at the end. The statistical analysis was performed with qualitative and quantitative measures, chi-cuadrado and t-student, and multivariant analyses. 248 patients were accepted for the study, and 100 were hypertensive patients (41.8%). We observed more women than men in hypertensive group (63.0%) and in non hypertensive group (51.1%). The median age was 77 years old in both groups. The median income was 11 days. The number of patients with diabetes mellitus and ischemic cardiopathy was bigger in hypertension group (43.0 vs. 22.3%), p < 0.001; (38 vs. 21.6%), p = 0.005. The most frequent symptom was the dyspnea (66,9%), in both groups, p = 0.62. The 62.6% of the patients were bad control of blood pressures. The prevalence of bad control in hypertensive patients was bigger tha non-hypertensive patients (76.9 vs. 59.4%, p = 0.01). The pharmacologic treatment more prescribed in hypertensive patients ECAI or AAR-II (62.6 vs. 26.8%, p < 0.001). And the diuretics wee more prescribed in non-hypertensive patients (91.1 vs. 81.1%, p = 0.03). The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is associated with hypertension in the patients. The ECAI prescription was acceptable. The number of echocardiograms practiced to the patients is smaller that the number advised by international associations and smaller to the cardiologist registers. The beta

Study on quality control of Chinese herb medicine irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Dongqing; En Lihua; Deng Wenmin

2010-01-01

6-8 kGy γ-ray irradiation dosage treatment can reduce the bacteria, mildew effectively from 105 CFU/g to 102 CFU/g and eliminate the parasite in 4 kind of Chinese herb medicine, enhance their quality of sanitation observably. In the other hand, irradiation doesn't influence the medicinal component and therapy effect. Storage study has improved that the 4 kind of Chinese herb medicine treated by γ-ray irradiation can be preserved over one year in the room temperature with high quality of sanitation and steady medicinal component. (authors)

Medium-to-high prevalence of screening-detected parkinsonism in the urban area of Tehran, Iran: data from a community-based door-to-door study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fereshtehnejad SM

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Seyed-Mohammad Fereshtehnejad,1,2 Mahdiyeh Shafieesabet,3 Arash Rahmani,4 Ahmad Delbari,1,5 Johan Lökk1,6 1Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society (NVS, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Firoozgar Clinical Research Development Center (FCRDC, Firoozgar Hospital, 3Medical Student Research Committee (MSRC, Faculty of Medicine, 4Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 5Iranian Research Center on Aging, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Tehran, Iran; 6Department of Geriatric Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden Introduction: Parkinsonism occurs in all ethnic groups worldwide; however, there are wide variations in the prevalence rates reported from different countries, even for neighboring regions. The huge socioeconomic burden of parkinsonism necessitates the need for prevalence studies in each country. So far, there is neither data registry nor prevalence information on parkinsonism in the Iranian population. The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence rate of probable parkinsonism in a huge urban area in Iran, Tehran using a community-based door-to-door survey.Materials and methods: We used a random multistage sampling of the households within the network of health centers consisting of 374 subunits in all 22 districts throughout the entire urban area of Tehran. Overall, 20,621 individuals answered the baseline checklist and screening questionnaire and data from 19,500 persons aged ≥30 years were entered in the final analysis. Health care professionals used a new six-item screening questionnaire for parkinsonism, which has been previously shown to have a high validity and diagnostic value in the same population.Results: A total of 157 cases were screened for parkinsonism using the validated six-item questionnaire. After

High prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with sickle cell disease in a tertiary hospital in Lagos, South West, Nigeria.

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Busari, A A; Mufutau, M A

2017-06-07

Attention and interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been reignited globally, most especially in patients with chronic diseases. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is one of such chronic diseases associated with devastating clinical and psychosocial consequences, thus leading those affected to seek alternative treatment apart from orthodox medicine. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern and tolerability of the use of CAM in patients with SCD in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). This was a cross-sectional survey of 200 respondents with SCD attending the hematology clinics of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital over a period of 3 months. Data on socio-demographic characteristic, clinical profile, the types and sources of CAM used were collected using a well structured pretested questionnaire. The data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS®) version 17. Of the 200 patients who participated in the study, 113; 56.5% were males and 87; 43.5% were females. Majority of the SCD patients were 1-10 years old and their mean age was 18.8 ± 14.39 years. CAM was reportedly used by 88.5% of the respondents. Biological (herbal) products 156; 62.9% were the most commonly used CAM, followed by alternative medical systems 52; 20.9% and mind-body interventions 30; 12.1%. Relations, friends and neighbors influenced 85.2% of CAM users by recommending CAM to them. Tolerability of CAM was perceived to be excellent as only 33 (18.6%) of the respondents abandoned the use of CAM. Comparing CAM users and CAM non-users, there was no statistical significant difference in the proportion of those >18 years (45.76% vs 52.17%; p = 0.658), those who experienced two or more crises (51.41% vs 34.78%; p = 0.183), and those with stable haemoglobin concentration of >7 g/dL (15.81% vs 8.69%; p = 0.539) More patients among CAM non-users (91.30%) significantly spend over 3000 Naira (USD 15) per

Control of the development and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of food animal origin in Japan: a new approach for risk management of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products in Japan.

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Asai, Tetsuo; Hiki, Mototaka; Ozawa, Manao; Koike, Ryoji; Eguchi, Kaoru; Kawanishi, Michiko; Kojima, Akemi; Endoh, Yuuko S; Hamamoto, Shuichi; Sakai, Masato; Sekiya, Tatsuro

2014-03-01

Antimicrobial agents are essential for controlling bacterial disease in food-producing animals and contribute to the stable production of safe animal products. The use of antimicrobial agents in these animals affects the emergence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from animals and animal products. As disease-causing bacteria are often transferred from food-producing animals to humans, the food chain is considered a route of transmission for the resistant bacteria and/or resistance genes. The Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSC) has been assessing the risk posed to human health by the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from livestock products via the food chain. In addition to the FSC's risk assessments, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has developed risk-management guidelines to determine feasible risk-management options for the use of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products during farming practices. This report includes information on risk assessment and novel approaches for risk management of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products for mitigating the risk of development and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria originating from food-producing animals in Japan.

Type and prevalence of oral lesions seen in a teaching hospital ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The oral cavity can be affected by a wide variety of lesions and conditions, some of which are harmless, while others may have serious complications. The purpose of this study was to determine the types and prevalence of oral lesions and conditions seen in patients attending the Oral Medicine Clinic, University of Benin ...

Family medicine: Perception and attitudes among Indian medical students

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Ilhaam Ashraf

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Currently, family medicine is not taught as a part of the undergraduate medical curriculum in India. In this context, the perceptions and attitudes of Indian medical students regarding family medicine as a career choice were studied. Aims: This study aims to study the perceptions and attitudes prevalent among Indian medical students regarding family medicine as a career choice and discuss its future implications. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional survey study design. Methods and Material: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of undergraduate medical (MBBS students attending the 2016 medical student conference DEMEDCON at Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College in Kolar, Karnataka, India. Besides demographics, the survey included questions pertaining to awareness, exposure, and interest in family medicine in India. We also asked an open-ended question regarding the respondent's perception of the future of family medicine in India. Statistical Analysis: Simple statistics such as mean and frequency (% were calculated. Given the small sample size, no formal tests for statistical significance were performed. Results: Responses were collected from 45 students between the ages of 18–24 from 6 medical colleges across Karnataka and Puducherry. The majority (64% of respondents were in their 3rd or 4th year of medical college. 98% of respondents expressed a desire to learn more about family medicine as a specialty, and 82% expressed a need to introduce it as a subject in medical college. However, only 58% were aware of the Medical Council of India accredited status of family medicine in India. Conclusions: There exists a significant lack of awareness and inadequate exposure among Indian medical students toward family medicine. Nonetheless, there is widespread optimism and a desire to learn more about the subject. Increased awareness and avenues for exposure to family medicine in the formal undergraduate medical curriculum is the need of the hour.

Herbal Medicines: Malaysian Women’s Knowledge and Practice

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Law Kim Sooi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study among Malay women admitted in the antenatal and postnatal ward to determine the prevalence and use of herbal medicines during pregnancy and elemental analysis in the most popular herbs. A total of 460 women were surveyed. Herbal medicine use during pregnancy was 34.3%, while 73% utilized herbal medicines during labor, because of a belief that it may shorten and ease labor. The most commonly used herbal medicines in pregnancy were Anastatica hierochuntica L. (60.1% followed by coconut oil (35.4%. The majority of women (89.2% used only one type of herbal medicines and took one capsule/glass (38% per day. Herbal medicines use by pregnant women is largely unsupervised (81%, with most women getting information from their parents (60.7% and buying the products directly from traditional midwives (32.2% and 77% agreed upon its efficacy and safety. From the 460 respondents, 89.8% women were in the low end of the herbs knowledge. There was a significant difference found between knowledge score and income (P<0.05. Microdiffraction analysis revealed significant presence of carbon, oxygen, silica, calcium, magnesium, aluminium, potassium, zinc, and iron that were found in Anastatica hierochuntica L. and proved to have good benefits for pregnancy.

Loaisis in Edo State, Nigeria | Mordi | Journal of Medicine and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The inaccessibility of the arthropod vector to humans could be advanced for the low prevalence of the disease in the state. The socio-cultural and economic factors, which predisposed to infection, were discussed as part of control measures. Keywords: Loaisis, Prevalence, Loa Loa, Edo State Nigeria Journal of Medicine ...

Nosocomial infections at Clinical Centre in Kragujevac: Prevalence study

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Ilić Milena

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction Nosocomial infections (NIs are a serious health problem in hospitals worldwide and are followed by a series of consequences, medical, judicial, ethical and economic. Objective The main aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of NIs at the Clinical Centre in Kragujevac. Methods A prevalence study of nosocomial infections was conducted from 16th till 20th May, 2005, within Second National Prevalence Study of Niš in the Republic of Serbia. Results The study included 866 patients. 40 patients had a NI, thus the prevalence of patients with NIs and prevalence of NIs was the same, 4.6%. Among NIs, the most frequent were urinary infections (45.0% followed by surgical-site infections (17.5%, skin and soft tissue infections (15% and pneumonia (12.5%. The rate of NIs was highest at departments of orthopaedics and traumatological surgery (12.0%, followed by intensive care units (8.0%. Overall, 67.5% (27/40 NIs were culture-proved; the leading pathogens were Escherichia coli (40.0%, followed by gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas species, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacteriaceae with equal frequency of 8.0%. Nosocomial infections were significantly more frequent in patients aged ≥65 years (p<0.05, with longer hospitalization ≥8 days (p<0.00, in intensive care patients (p<0.05, patients with an intravenous catheter (p<0.00, urinary catheter (p<0.00, and those under antibiotic therapy (p<0.00. Conclusion This study showed that the prevalence of nosocomial infections in our hospital is similar to the prevalence in the developed countries. The study of prevalence provides a prompt insight into basic epidemiological and ethiological characteristics of nosocomial infections, hence identification of hospital priorities and the need to undertake appropriate prevention measures. .

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with localized prostate carcinoma. Study at a single institute in Japan

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Yoshimura, Koji; Ichioka, Kentaro; Terada, Naoki; Terai, Akito [Kurashiki Central Hospital, Okayama (Japan); Arai, Yoichi [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Graduate School of Medicine

2003-02-01

The use of complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) has recently received considerable attention throughout the world. We evaluated the prevalence and predictors of CAM use among Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer. A total of 177 patients with localized prostate carcinoma underwent radical retropubic prostatecotomy or external beam radiation therapy between January 1994 and January 2001. Of them, 138 (78%) answered a self-administered questionnaire on CAM use and were eligible for this study. The overall prevalence, types of CAM used, and costs of CAM were assessed. The effects of age, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, clinical stage, pretreatment Gleason score, patients' income, patients' final educational status, and general health-related quality of life at baseline and 1 year after treatment, as estimated using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Prostate Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire on the prevalence of CAM use, were evaluated. Twenty-seven patients (20%) had once used or had been using some types of CAM. Herbal medicine and vitamins were the most common types of CAM used. Preoperative Gleason score was significantly associated with CAM use, as determined by the {chi}''2 test (P0.0198), and PSA level and posttreatment physical function domain were marginally associated with CAM use, as determined by the Mann-Whitney U-test (P=0.0734 and P=0.0597, respectively). Patient age, income, and final educational status had no impact on CAM use. A relatively small proportion of Japanese patients with localized prostate cancer have tried CAM compared with the proportions of patients described in previous reports from Western countries. (author)

Prevalence of Disruptive Behavior Disorders in Elementary-School Students of Khorramabad

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parisa Namdari

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Namdari P1, Nazari H2 1. Instructor, Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 2. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran Abstract Background: Disruptive Behavior Disorder (DBD is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders starting from childhood and is considered an important mental health problem of the society. DBDs may have distractive effects on the social, educational, personality, and behavioral relationships of people in their childhood and adulthood. The present research was done to determine the prevalence of Disruptive Behavior Disorders in elementary school students of Khorramabad in 2005. Materials and methods: This research was a cross-sectional study. Its statistical community includes all the students studying in grades one to five at elementary schools in Khorramabad (N = 943. Sixteen state and private schools (8 for girls and 8 for boys were selected in a cluster and multi–stage sampling method. The standardized questionnaire of Child Symptoms Inventories (CSI-4 was used to collect data on the prevalence of children’s psychiatric disorders. The results ware analyzed using descriptive statistic and Chi-square test. Results: The total sample included 943 children. There was 21.4% DBD behavior (17.7% oppositional defiant disorder and, 3.7% conduct disorder. The number of the boys was twice as that of the girls (28.7% vs. 14.4%. The students in grade 2 showed the lowest, and those in grade 3, 4 and 5 the highest prevalence rate of DBD. There was also a significant relationship between children’s grade (P= 0.02, parent’s education (P=0.005, P=0.006, Mother’s job (P= 0.03, income (P = 0.005 and DBD. However no significant relationship between father’s job, educational level of the students and parent’s mental problems and Disruptive Behavior Disorders was found. Conclusion: Due to the high

[DIFFERENCE IN THE PREVALENCE OF BURNOUT SYNDROME IN PRECLINICAL AND CLINICAL TEACHING DOCTORS OF MOSTAR SCHOOL OF MEDICINE].

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Vukojevič, Mladenka; Antunovič, Andelka; Petrov, Božo

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the difference in the prevalence of burnout syndrome in preclinical and clinical teaching doctors of Mostar School of Medicine in the academic year 2011/2012. Special attention was also focused on finding out the possible difference between the syndrome incidence that was correlated to gender and years of service. The main hypothesis was that the probability of burnout syndrome incidence was higher in the group of female clinical teaching doctors having more years of service. The study involved 62 people with high academic education employed at Mostar School of Medicine who were surveyed during a randomly selected consecutive 3-month period (February to May) of the academic year 2011/2012. The data were prospectively collected through a standardized questionnaire survey. The studied parameters were gender, years of work experience and the engagement in preclinical or clinical departments of the Medical School. The survey showed that 43 out of 62 (69.4%) respondents did not suffer the burnout syndrome, while moderate syndrome was recodred in 19 (30.6%) of them. No person had serious symptoms of the syndrome. The difference between the respondents who suffered the syndrome and those who did not was not statistically significant (P=0.002). Considering the gender of respondents, statistically significant differences were not confirmed (P=0.444). Considering the years of service, the highest incidence of the syndrome was found in people with more work experience (in the group of 21-25 years), but the difference between the groups was not statistically significant (P=0.271). Observing the work in preclinical and clinical departments, because of the limited number of patients we could not confirm the hypothesis. The syndrome had affected 13 (21%) clinical teaching doctors and 6 (9,7%) preclinical doctors, while the differenece between them was not statistically significant (P=0.054). Considering the results of this research, it has

Utilization of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among children from a German birth cohort (GINIplus): patterns, costs, and trends of use.

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Italia, Salvatore; Brand, Helmut; Heinrich, Joachim; Berdel, Dietrich; von Berg, Andrea; Wolfenstetter, Silke Britta

2015-03-10

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widespread among children in Germany and other European countries. Only a few studies are available on trends in pediatric CAM use over time. The study's objective was to present updated results for prevalence, predictors, and costs of CAM use among German children and a comparison with findings from a previous follow-up of the same birth cohort. Data were collected for 3013 children on their utilization of medicinal products (during the last 4 weeks) and consultation with CAM providers (in the preceding year) from a German birth cohort study (GINIplus, 15-year follow-up) using a self-administered questionnaire. The reported medicinal CAMs were classified into six categories (homeopathy, herbal drugs, nutritionals, minerals and trace elements, microorganisms, further CAM). Drug prices were traced using pharmaceutical identification numbers (PZNs), or otherwise conservatively estimated. Finally, the results were compared with data obtained from the 10-year follow-up of the same birth cohort study by adopting the identical methodology. In all, 26% of the reported 2489 drugs were medicinal CAM. The 4-week prevalence for homeopathy and herbal drug use was 7.5% and 5.6%, respectively. Some 13.9% of the children used at least one type of medicinal CAM in the preceding 4 weeks. The 1-year prevalence for consultation with CAM providers was 10.8%. From the drugs identified as CAM, 53.7% were homeopathic remedies, and 30.8% were herbal drugs. Factors associated with higher medicinal CAM use were female gender, residing in Munich, and higher maternal education. A homeopathy user utilized on average homeopathic remedies worth EUR 15.28. The corresponding figure for herbal drug users was EUR 16.02, and EUR 18.72 for overall medicinal CAM users. Compared with the 10-year follow-up, the prevalence of homeopathy use was more than halved (-52%) and dropped substantially for herbal drug use (-36%) and overall CAM use (-38

Prevalence of delirium in hospitalized internal medicine and surgical adult patients in Shohadaye ashayer hospital of Khoram abad

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raheleh Asaee

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Asaee R1, Nasari H2,Hoseini S3 1. Assistant professor, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestanl University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran 1. Assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestanl University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran 2. G.P, Khorramabad, Iran Abstract Background: Delirium is common in elderly persons and in hospitalized patients especially after surgical procedures. But many of them are undetected and don’t receive treatment so they involve with increased mortality and morbidity, adverse outcomes, length of hospital stay and mental disability sequels. Unfortunetly , despite the importance of this syndrom , physicians and staff are able to diagnose only one thirth of the patients. Material and methods: In this cross sectional study, 240 inpatiants (120 from surgery ward and 120 from miernal medicine ward from Shohadaye Ashayer hospital of Khorramabad were selected randomly. The diagnostic criteria for delirium were Mini-Mental state examination (MMSE questionnaire, and patients daily examination for 4 days by MMSE. Results: Delirium was observed in 37 (30.8% of the patients of internal medicine ward and 25 (20.8% of the patients of surgery ward. 27 (22.5% of the patients of internal medicine ward and 37 (30.8% of the patients of surgery ward were suspicious for delirium. In age group of 58-77 years in surgery ward and patients over 77 years in internal medicine ward had the most frequency of delirium. There was significant relationship (p=0.01 between two sex in surgery ward. But there was not significant difference (p=0.92 between two sex in internal medicine ward for delirium. Conclusion: Reading the results of this study and frequency of delirum in surgery and internal medicine wards, presence of a psychiatrist in mentioned wards is necessary of early diagnosis and control of delirium.

Prevalence of common canine digestive problems compared with other health problems in teaching veterinary hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

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Gamal M. H. Rakha

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Aim: The present study was conducted to ascertain the prevalence of common digestive problems compared to other health problems among dogs that were admitted to the teaching veterinary hospital, faculty of veterinary medicine, Cairo University, Egypt during 1 year period from January to December 2013. Also, study the effect of age, sex, breeds, and season on the distribution of digestive problems in dogs. Materials and Methods: A total of 3864 dogs included 1488 apparently healthy (included 816 males and 672 females and 2376 diseased dogs (included 1542 males and 834 females were registered for age, sex, breed, and the main complaint from their owners. A complete history and detailed clinical examination of each case were applied to the aids of radiographic, ultrasonographic, and endoscopic examination tools. Fecal examination was applied for each admitted case. Rapid tests for parvovirus and canine distemper virus detection were also performed. Results: A five digestive problems were commonly recorded including vomiting, diarrhea, concurrent vomiting with diarrhea, anorexia, and constipation with a prevalence (% of 13.6, 19.1, 10.1, 13.1, and 0.5 respectively while that of dermatological, respiratory, urinary, neurological, cardiovascular, auditory, and ocular problems was 27.9, 10.5, 3.3, 0.84, 0.4, 0.25, and 0.17 (% respectively. This prevalence was obtained on the basis of the diseased cases. Age and breed had a significant effect on the distribution of digestive problems in dogs (p0.05 on the distribution of such problems. Conclusion: Digestive problems were the highest recorded problems among dogs, and this was the first records for such problems among dogs in Egypt. Age, gender, and breeds had a significant effect on the distribution of the digestive problems in dogs while season had a non-significant effect on the distribution of such problems. The present data enable veterinarians in Egypt to ascertain their needs for diagnostic tools

An ethnopharmacological study of aromatic Uyghur medicinal plants in Xinjiang, China.

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Zhao, Lu; Tian, Shuge; Wen, E; Upur, Halmuart

2017-12-01

An ethnobotanical survey was completed in a remote village and surrounding country of Xinjiang, where most Uyghur medicinal plants could be collected. This work clarifies and increases ethnobotanical data. We surveyed and organized aromatic medicinal plants that are commonly used in clinical settings to provide a significant reference for studying new medical activities. In the survey, informants who have traditional knowledge on aromatic Uyghur medicinal plants were interviewed between March 2014 and September 2014. Aromatic medicinal plant species and pertinent information were collected. Some therapeutic methods and modes of preparation of traditional aromatic medicinal plants were found. A total of 86 aromatic medicinal plant species belonging to 36 families were included in our study. We identified 34 plant species introduced from different regions such as Europe, India and Mediterranean areas. Fruits and whole plants were the most commonly used parts of plant, and most aromatic medicinal plants could be applied as medicine and food. We assigned the medicinal plants a use value (UV). Knowing the UV of species is useful in determining the use reliability and pharmacological features of related plants. Xinjiang is an area in which indigenous aromatic medicinal plants are diversely used and has therefore established a sound dimensional medical healthcare treatment system. Some aromatic Uyghur medicinal plants are on the verge of extinction. Hence, further strategies for the conservation of these aromatic medicinal plants should be prioritized.

[Plant hydroponics and its application prospect in medicinal plants study].

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Zeng, Yan; Guo, Lan-Ping; Huang, Lu-Qi; Sun, Yu-Zhang

2007-03-01

This article introduced the theorem and method of hydroponics. Some examples of studies in agriculture and forestry were presented, the effects of elements, environmental stress and hormones on physiology of medicinal plants by using hydroponics were analyzed. It also introduced the feasibility and advantage of hydroponics in intermediate propagation and allelopathy of medicinal plant. And finally it made the conclusion that the way of hydroponics would be widely used in medicinal plant study.

Prevalence and predictors of children's dietary supplement use: the 2007 National Health Interview Survey

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Little is known about the characteristics of US children who are dietary supplement users. We described the prevalence and predictors of and reasons for giving children dietary supplements. The study included children <18 y of age who participated in the Complementary and Alternative Medicine supple...

A systems medicine research approach for studying alcohol addiction.

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Spanagel, Rainer; Durstewitz, Daniel; Hansson, Anita; Heinz, Andreas; Kiefer, Falk; Köhr, Georg; Matthäus, Franziska; Nöthen, Markus M; Noori, Hamid R; Obermayer, Klaus; Rietschel, Marcella; Schloss, Patrick; Scholz, Henrike; Schumann, Gunter; Smolka, Michael; Sommer, Wolfgang; Vengeliene, Valentina; Walter, Henrik; Wurst, Wolfgang; Zimmermann, Uli S; Stringer, Sven; Smits, Yannick; Derks, Eske M

2013-11-01

According to the World Health Organization, about 2 billion people drink alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption can result in alcohol addiction, which is one of the most prevalent neuropsychiatric diseases afflicting our society today. Prevention and intervention of alcohol binging in adolescents and treatment of alcoholism are major unmet challenges affecting our health-care system and society alike. Our newly formed German SysMedAlcoholism consortium is using a new systems medicine approach and intends (1) to define individual neurobehavioral risk profiles in adolescents that are predictive of alcohol use disorders later in life and (2) to identify new pharmacological targets and molecules for the treatment of alcoholism. To achieve these goals, we will use omics-information from epigenomics, genetics transcriptomics, neurodynamics, global neurochemical connectomes and neuroimaging (IMAGEN; Schumann et al. ) to feed mathematical prediction modules provided by two Bernstein Centers for Computational Neurosciences (Berlin and Heidelberg/Mannheim), the results of which will subsequently be functionally validated in independent clinical samples and appropriate animal models. This approach will lead to new early intervention strategies and identify innovative molecules for relapse prevention that will be tested in experimental human studies. This research program will ultimately help in consolidating addiction research clusters in Germany that can effectively conduct large clinical trials, implement early intervention strategies and impact political and healthcare decision makers. © 2013 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Rationing critical care medicine: recent studies and current trends.

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Ward, Nicholas S

2005-12-01

This paper reviews the literature on the rationing of critical care resources. Although much has been written about the concept of rationing, there have been few scientific studies as to its prevalence. A recent meta-analysis reviewed all previously published studies on rationing access to intensive care units but little is known about practices within the intensive care unit. Much literature in the past few years has focused on the growing use of critical care resources and projections for the future. Several authors suggest there may be a crisis in financial or personnel resources if some rationing does not take place. Other papers have argued that the methods of rationing critical care previously proposed, such as limiting the care of dying patients or using cost-effectiveness analysis to determine care, may not be effective or viewed as ethical by some. Finally, several recent papers review how critical care is practiced and allocated in India and Asian countries that already practice open rationing in their health care systems. There is currently no published evidence that overt rationing is taking place in critical care medicine. There is growing evidence that in the future, the need for critical care may outstrip financial resources unless some form of rationing takes place. It is also clear from the literature that choosing how to ration critical care will be a difficult task.

Research medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1984-01-01

In Section I of this annual report, a brief summary of work is presented by the Research Medicine Group. The major emphasis has been the study of the blood system in man with a special emphasis on the examination of platelet abnormalities in human disease. New programs of major importance include the study of aging or dementia of the Alzheimer's type. A differential diagnosis technique has been perfected using positron emission tomography. Studies on the biochemical basis of schizophrenia have proceeded using radioisotope studies which image physiological and biochemical processes. In the investigation of atherosclerosis, techniques have been developed to measure blood perfusion of the heart muscle by labelling platelets and lipoproteins. Progress is reported in a new program which uses NMR for both imaging and spectroscopic studies in humans. The group has determined through an epidemiological study that bubble chamber and cyclotron workers who have been exposed to high electromagnetic fields for two decades have no significant increases in the prevalence of 21 diseases as compared with controls

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by pregnant women: a literature review.

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Hall, Helen G; Griffiths, Debra L; McKenna, Lisa G

2011-12-01

The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become increasingly prevalent in industrialised countries, with women being the most prolific users. Some women continue to consume these therapies when they become pregnant. To review the literature exploring prevalence and motivation for use of complementary and alternative medicine by pregnant women. A search for relevant literature published from 2001 was undertaken using a range of databases and by examining relevant bibliographies. Although the estimates vary widely from 1% to 87%, the general trend indicates that a significant number of pregnant women use complementary and alternative medicine. Common modalities used include massage, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal medicine, relaxation therapies and aromatherapy. Reasons for use are varied and include the belief that these therapies offer safe alternatives to pharmaceuticals, they allow greater choice and control over the childbearing experiences, and they are congruent with their holistic health beliefs. The influence of traditional cultural practices on the use of these therapies is unclear. Most expectant women rely on advice from family and friends, and many do not disclose their use to their pregnancy care providers. Many women use complementary and alternative medicine when they are pregnant. Further research is needed to gain a greater understanding of the true prevalence and expectant women's motivation for the use of complementary and alternative medicine. Health-care professionals are encouraged to ask women about their use of these treatments and seek out relevant information. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability studies of diagnostic methods in Indian traditional Ayurveda medicine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurande, Vrinda Hitendra; Waagepetersen, Rasmus; Toft, Egon

2013-01-01

as prakriti classification), method development (pulse diagnosis), quality assurance for diagnosis and treatment and in the conduct of clinical studies. Several reliability studies are conducted in western medicine. The investigation of the reliability of traditional Chinese, Japanese and Sasang medicine...

Relativism and the social scientific study of medicine.

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Risjord, M

1993-04-01

Does the social scientific study of medicine require a commitment to relativism? Relativism claims that some subject (e.g., knowledge claims or moral judgments) is relative to a background (e.g., a culture or conceptual scheme) and that judgments about the subject are incommensurable. Examining the concept of success as it appears in orthodox and nonorthodox medical systems, we see that judgments of success are relative to a background medical system. Relativism requires the social scientific study of medicine to be value free in the sense that a medical system must be described without evaluating its elements. When social scientists do evaluate the successfulness of a nonorthodox medical system, they give a crucial role to the nonorthodox conception of success. This strategy does not vitiate value-freedom and it entails a relativism about success. The social scientific study of medicine, therefore, does require relativism in the form of a relativism about success.

Knowledge and uses of African pangolins as a source of traditional medicine in Ghana.

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Boakye, Maxwell Kwame; Pietersen, Darren William; Kotzé, Antoinette; Dalton, Desiré-Lee; Jansen, Raymond

2015-01-01

Traditional medicine has been practised in Ghana for centuries with the majority of Ghanaians still patronising the services of traditional healers. Throughout Africa a large number of people use pangolins as a source of traditional medicine, however, there is a dearth of information on the use of animals in folk medicine in Ghana, in particular the use of pangolins. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent use of pangolins and the level of knowledge of pangolin use among traditional healers in Ghana for the treatment of human ailments. Data was gathered from 48 traditional healers using semi-structured interviews on the traditional medicinal use of pangolin body parts in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The cultural importance index, relative frequency of citation, informant agreement ratio and use agreement values were calculated to ascertain the most culturally important pangolin body part as well as the level of knowledge dissemination among traditional healers with regards pangolin body parts. Our study revealed that 13 body parts of pangolins are used to treat various medicinal ailments. Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. Despite being classified under Schedule 1 of Ghana's Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685), that prohibits anyone from hunting or being in possession of a pangolin, our results indicated that the use of pangolins for traditional medicinal purposes is widespread among traditional healers in Ghana. A study on the population status and ecology of the three species of African pangolins occurring in Ghana is urgently required in order to determine the impact this harvest for traditional medical purposes has on their respective populations as current levels appear to be unmonitored and unsustainable.

Knowledge and uses of African pangolins as a source of traditional medicine in Ghana.

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Maxwell Kwame Boakye

Full Text Available Traditional medicine has been practised in Ghana for centuries with the majority of Ghanaians still patronising the services of traditional healers. Throughout Africa a large number of people use pangolins as a source of traditional medicine, however, there is a dearth of information on the use of animals in folk medicine in Ghana, in particular the use of pangolins. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalent use of pangolins and the level of knowledge of pangolin use among traditional healers in Ghana for the treatment of human ailments. Data was gathered from 48 traditional healers using semi-structured interviews on the traditional medicinal use of pangolin body parts in the Kumasi metropolis of Ghana. The cultural importance index, relative frequency of citation, informant agreement ratio and use agreement values were calculated to ascertain the most culturally important pangolin body part as well as the level of knowledge dissemination among traditional healers with regards pangolin body parts. Our study revealed that 13 body parts of pangolins are used to treat various medicinal ailments. Pangolin scales and bones were the most prevalent prescribed body parts and indicated the highest cultural significance among traditional healing practices primarily for the treatment of spiritual protection, rheumatism, financial rituals and convulsions. Despite being classified under Schedule 1 of Ghana's Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685, that prohibits anyone from hunting or being in possession of a pangolin, our results indicated that the use of pangolins for traditional medicinal purposes is widespread among traditional healers in Ghana. A study on the population status and ecology of the three species of African pangolins occurring in Ghana is urgently required in order to determine the impact this harvest for traditional medical purposes has on their respective populations as current levels appear to be unmonitored and

Adult Prevalence of Epilepsy in Spain: EPIBERIA, a Population-Based Study

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Pedro J. Serrano-Castro

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background. This study assesses the lifetime and active prevalence of epilepsy in Spain in people older than 18 years. Methods. EPIBERIA is a population-based epidemiological study of epilepsy prevalence using data from three representative Spanish regions (health districts in Zaragoza, Almería, and Seville between 2012 and 2013. The study consisted of two phases: screening and confirmation. Participants completed a previously validated questionnaire (EPIBERIA questionnaire over the telephone. Results. A total of 1741 valid questionnaires were obtained, including 261 (14.99% raising a suspicion of epilepsy. Of these suspected cases, 216 (82.75% agreed to participate in phase 2. Of the phase 2 participants, 22 met the International League Against Epilepsy’s diagnostic criteria for epilepsy. The estimated lifetime prevalence, adjusted by age and sex per 1,000 people, was 14.87 (95% CI: 9.8–21.9. Active prevalence was 5.79 (95% CI: 2.8–10.6. No significant age, sex, or regional differences in prevalence were detected. Conclusions. EPIBERIA provides the most accurate estimate of epilepsy prevalence in the Mediterranean region based on its original methodology and its adherence to ILAE recommendations. We highlight that the lifetime prevalence and inactive epilepsy prevalence figures observed here were compared to other epidemiological studies.

Adult Prevalence of Epilepsy in Spain: EPIBERIA, a Population-Based Study

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Serrano-Castro, Pedro J.; Mauri-Llerda, Jose Angel; Hernández-Ramos, Francisco José; Sánchez-Alvarez, Juan Carlos; Parejo-Carbonell, Beatriz; Quiroga-Subirana, Pablo; Vázquez-Gutierrez, Fernando; Santos-Lasaosa, Sonia; Mendez-Lucena, Carolina; Redondo-Verge, Luis; Tejero-Juste, Carlos; Morandeira-Rivas, Clara; Sancho-Rieger, Jerónimo; Matías-Guiu, Jorge

2015-01-01

Background. This study assesses the lifetime and active prevalence of epilepsy in Spain in people older than 18 years. Methods. EPIBERIA is a population-based epidemiological study of epilepsy prevalence using data from three representative Spanish regions (health districts in Zaragoza, Almería, and Seville) between 2012 and 2013. The study consisted of two phases: screening and confirmation. Participants completed a previously validated questionnaire (EPIBERIA questionnaire) over the telephone. Results. A total of 1741 valid questionnaires were obtained, including 261 (14.99%) raising a suspicion of epilepsy. Of these suspected cases, 216 (82.75%) agreed to participate in phase 2. Of the phase 2 participants, 22 met the International League Against Epilepsy's diagnostic criteria for epilepsy. The estimated lifetime prevalence, adjusted by age and sex per 1,000 people, was 14.87 (95% CI: 9.8–21.9). Active prevalence was 5.79 (95% CI: 2.8–10.6). No significant age, sex, or regional differences in prevalence were detected. Conclusions. EPIBERIA provides the most accurate estimate of epilepsy prevalence in the Mediterranean region based on its original methodology and its adherence to ILAE recommendations. We highlight that the lifetime prevalence and inactive epilepsy prevalence figures observed here were compared to other epidemiological studies. PMID:26783554

Prevalence of acute mountain sickness on Mount Fuji: A pilot study.

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Horiuchi, Masahiro; Endo, Junko; Akatsuka, Shin; Uno, Tadashi; Jones, Thomas E

2016-04-01

Few studies have investigated climbing-related acute mountain sickness (AMS) on Mt Fuji. Although several studies of AMS have been conducted elsewhere, Mt Fuji is unique because there are many mountain lodges between the fifth station (a common starting point for climbers at an altitude of 2305 m) and the summit (3776 m), and many climbers commonly sleep overnight at mountain lodges during their ascents. This study surveyed the prevalence of AMS among climbers on Mt Fuji to determine which factors, if any, were related to the risk of developing AMS. This study collected data from 345 participants who climbed Mt Fuji in August 2013, including information regarding age, sex, climbing experience and whether the climber stayed at a mountain lodge (n = 239). AMS was surveyed using the Lake Louise Score (LLS) questionnaire. The item on perceived sleep quality was excluded for those who did not stay at a mountain lodge (n = 106). The overall prevalence of AMS was 29.5% (≥ 3 LLS with headache). According to a univariate analysis, AMS was not associated with sex (male vs female), age group (20-29, 30-39, 40-49 or >50 years) or stay at a mountain lodge (single day vs overnight stay). Conversely, prior experience climbing Mt Fuji (no prior attempts vs one or more prior attempts) was related to the risk of AMS. In addition, there was a significant deviation in the number of participants reporting poor sleep, and total sleep time was significantly shorter in participants with AMS. These preliminary findings suggest that no single factor can explain the risk for developing AMS while climbing Mt Fuji. In addition, impaired perceived sleep quality was associated with the severity of AMS in climbers who stayed overnight at a mountain lodge. © International Society of Travel Medicine, 2016. All rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

21st century natural product research and drug development and traditional medicines.

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Ngo, Linh T; Okogun, Joseph I; Folk, William R

2013-04-01

Natural products and related structures are essential sources of new pharmaceuticals, because of the immense variety of functionally relevant secondary metabolites of microbial and plant species. Furthermore, the development of powerful analytical tools based upon genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics and other 21st century technologies are greatly expediting identification and characterization of these natural products. Here we discuss the synergistic and reciprocal benefits of linking these 'omics technologies with robust ethnobotanical and ethnomedical studies of traditional medicines, to provide critically needed improved medicines and treatments that are inexpensive, accessible, safe and reliable. However, careless application of modern technologies can challenge traditional knowledge and biodiversity that are the foundation of traditional medicines. To address such challenges while fulfilling the need for improved (and new) medicines, we encourage the development of Regional Centres of 'omics Technologies functionally linked with Regional Centres of Genetic Resources, especially in regions of the world where use of traditional medicines is prevalent and essential for health.

Disaster Education: A Survey Study to Analyze Disaster Medicine Training in Emergency Medicine Residency Programs in the United States.

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Sarin, Ritu R; Cattamanchi, Srihari; Alqahtani, Abdulrahman; Aljohani, Majed; Keim, Mark; Ciottone, Gregory R

2017-08-01

The increase in natural and man-made disasters occurring worldwide places Emergency Medicine (EM) physicians at the forefront of responding to these crises. Despite the growing interest in Disaster Medicine, it is unclear if resident training has been able to include these educational goals. Hypothesis This study surveys EM residencies in the United States to assess the level of education in Disaster Medicine, to identify competencies least and most addressed, and to highlight effective educational models already in place. The authors distributed an online survey of multiple-choice and free-response questions to EM residency Program Directors in the United States between February 7 and September 24, 2014. Questions assessed residency background and details on specific Disaster Medicine competencies addressed during training. Out of 183 programs, 75 (41%) responded to the survey and completed all required questions. Almost all programs reported having some level of Disaster Medicine training in their residency. The most common Disaster Medicine educational competencies taught were patient triage and decontamination. The least commonly taught competencies were volunteer management, working with response teams, and special needs populations. The most commonly identified methods to teach Disaster Medicine were drills and lectures/seminars. There are a variety of educational tools used to teach Disaster Medicine in EM residencies today, with a larger focus on the use of lectures and hospital drills. There is no indication of a uniform educational approach across all residencies. The results of this survey demonstrate an opportunity for the creation of a standardized model for resident education in Disaster Medicine. Sarin RR , Cattamanchi S , Alqahtani A , Aljohani M , Keim M , Ciottone GR . Disaster education: a survey study to analyze disaster medicine training in emergency medicine residency programs in the United States. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):368-373.

[Epidemiological methods used in studies in the prevalence of Tourette syndrome].

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Stefanoff, Paweł; Mazurek, Jacek

2003-01-01

Tourette syndrome (TS) prevalence was studied since the early 80-ies. Its clinical course is characterised by co-occurrence of motor and vocal tics. Results of previous epidemiological studies were surprisingly divergent: the prevalence varied from 0.5 to 115 cases per 10,000 population. The disease previously recognised as extremely rare and severe is now considered as quite common, with often moderate course. Selected methods used in studies of TS prevalence and analysis of their possible impact on study results are presented. The studies were divided into 3 groups: studies of the hospitalised population, large-scale screenings and studies involving school population, basing on characteristic and size of population, methods of selection of subjects, diagnostic and screening methods used. Studies of the hospitalised population involved patients with most severe symptoms, in different age groups, different methods of final diagnosis confirmation were used. TS prevalence varied from 0.5 up to 15 cases per 10,000 population. Procedures used in large-scale screening studies made possible the elimination of potential selection bias. Large populations were studied using transparent and repetitive confirmation of diagnoses. Their validity was additionally checked in parallel validity studies. TS prevalence was in the range 4.3 to 10 cases per 10,000 population. The highest TS prevalence was obtained in studies involving schoolchildren. Data were gathered from multiple sources: from parents, teachers and children, as well as from classroom observation. Diagnoses were made by experienced clinicians. TS prevalence obtained in school population studies was between 36.2 up to 115 per 10,000 population.

Prevalence of Depressive Disorder in Persons With Type 2 Diabetes: A National Population-Based Cohort Study 2000-2010.

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Tu, Hung-Pin; Hsieh, Hui-Min; Liu, Tai-Ling; Jiang, He-Jiun; Wang, Peng-Wei; Huang, Chun-Jen

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic and disabling disease, is epidemic worldwide. Depressive disorder affects the productivity of workers and leads to disability. This study investigated the prevalence of depressive disorder among persons with type 2 diabetes in Taiwan. We extracted service claims data for subjects who had at least 2 ambulatory care service claims or 1 inpatient service claim with a principal diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and at least 1 ambulatory or inpatient service claim with a principal diagnosis of depressive disorder from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database. From 2000-2010, the prevalence of depressive disorder increased from 3.50-4.07% in people with type 2 diabetes, and from 1.05-2.27% in the general population. The higher prevalence of depressive disorder in persons with type 2 diabetes was associated with being female; residence in central, southern, and eastern Taiwan; residence in urban areas; the comorbidities of hemiplegia or paraplegia, cerebrovascular disease, and anxiety disorder; Charlson Comorbidity Index scores ≥1; diabetes duration >9 years; and the use of rapid-acting insulin injection therapy. The prevalence of depressive disorder is higher among persons with type 2 diabetes than the general population. Consequently, more public health attention should be devoted to the prevention and treatment of this debilitating disease in persons with type 2 diabetes, especially those with the earlier mentioned risk factors. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pruritus Treatment in Viewpoints of Traditional Persian Medicine.

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Jazani, Arezoo Moini; Azgomi, Ramin Nasimi Doost; Shirbeigi, Leila

2016-05-01

Pruritus is an unpleasant feeling that can cause the desire of scratching in a person and can be the symptoms of systemic, infectious, and neurological diseases. Pruritus is the most common clinical manifestation of skin diseases. Pruritus prevalence is 8-38% in the general population. Causes and treatments of pruritus have been described by traditional Persian medicine scientists. The aim of this study was to derive general principles of the proposed treatment to reduce or relieve pruritus. This descriptive study, review traditional medicine books including Al canon fil tibb, Al-Hawi, Makhzan ul-adviyyah, Al-Abniyah an-Haghyegh el-adviyah, Tuhfat ul-Momineen and Exir-e-Azam. The above-mentioned documents were derived and classified by keywords such as pruritus, hakka, jarab and sherry. In traditional Persian medicine, there are different causes for pruritus such as accumulation of vapors or acute humors in subcutaneous tissue or weakness of expulsive (Dafi'a) faculty and its treatment is based on removing the causes. Proper nutrition, bathing, and removing pathogenic humors are involved in the treatment. According to this study, some plants such as Cassia fistula, Purslane, Violets, Fumaria, Barley, Coriander, Rose and Terminalia chebula are anti-itching. Proper nutrition is the most important point in health and treatment of humors production with appropriate quality and quantity. Pruritus can be treated by lifestyle modification and using medicinal plants. It could be concluded that traditional Persian medicine therapies can be effective in the treatment of pruritus with mild side effects. By further investigation and research, we can reach more effective treatment methods in the field of traditional Persian medicine along with other new medical therapies.

Medicine non-adherence in kidney transplantation.

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Williams, Allison Fiona; Manias, Elizabeth; Gaskin, Cadeyrn J; Crawford, Kimberley

2014-06-01

The increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease, the relative shortage of kidney donors and the economic- and health-related costs of kidney transplant rejection make the prevention of adverse outcomes following transplantation a healthcare imperative. Although strict adherence to immunosuppressant medicine regimens is key to preventing kidney rejection, evidence suggests that adherence is sub-optimal. Strategies need to be developed to help recipients of kidney transplants adhere to their prescribed medicines. This review has found that a number of factors contribute to poor adherence, for example, attitudes towards medicine taking and forgetfulness. Few investigations have been conducted, however, on strategies to enhance medicine adherence in kidney transplant recipients. Strategies that may improve adherence include pharmacist-led interventions (incorporating counselling, medicine reviews and nephrologist liaison) and nurse-led interventions (involving collaboratively working with recipients to understand their routines and offering solutions to improve adherence). Strategies that have shown to have limited effectiveness include supplying medicines free of charge and providing feedback on a participant's medicine adherence without any educational or behavioural interventions. Transplantation is the preferred treatment option for people with end-stage kidney disease. Medicine non-adherence in kidney transplantation increases the risk of rejection, kidney loss and costly treatments. Interventions are needed to help the transplant recipient take all their medicines as prescribed to improve general well-being, medicine safety and reduce healthcare costs. © 2014 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

Comparisonof depression prevalence in medical students between the first and last years of Birjand University of Medical Sciences: Brief Article

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Nahid Rahmani Bidokhti

2014-08-01

Conclusion: Apparently, prevalence of depression in medical students in Birjand university of Medical Sciences is high, although studying medicine is not significantly decisive in the occurrence of the problem.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with cancer in northern Turkey: analysis of cost and satisfaction.

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Aydin Avci, Ilknur; Koç, Zeliha; Sağlam, Zeynep

2012-03-01

The aims of this study were to determine (1) the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cancer, (2) the method of use of the particular therapy, (3) the reasons for using complementary and alternative medicine therapies, (4) the benefits experienced by the use of complementary and alternative medicine, (5) the source of information about complementary and alternative medicine therapies and, (6) the satisfaction and cost of complementary and alternative medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine consists of diverse medical and healthcare systems, practices and products that are not considered at present to be a part of conventional medicine. The majority of patients who use complementary and alternative medicine use more than one method. Complementary and alternative medicine use is more common in cases of advanced disease or poor prognosis. This is a descriptive study of complementary and alternative medicine. This study was conducted in the Chemotherapy Unit at Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey, between 18 March 2008-30 June 2008. Two hundred fifty-three patients with cancer, among 281 patients who applied to the chemotherapy clinic between these dates, agreed to take part in the study with whom contact could be made were included. A questionnaire including descriptive characteristics in collecting data, characteristics about diseases and their treatments, complementary and alternative medicine information and implementation situations and a control list about complementary and alternative medicine implementations were given. The collected data were evaluated by computer using descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and Student's t-test. In this study, 94·1% of the patients were content with medical treatment, 58·9% of them used complementary and alternative medicine treatments, 41·1% did not use any complementary and alternative medicine treatments. The satisfaction level of the

Prevalence of dementia among elderly Brazilians: a systematic review

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Susana Dytz Fagundes

2011-01-01

Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The rapid growth of the elderly population in Brazil has implied a significant rise in the number of individuals with dementia. The real prevalence of this disease needs to be ascertained in order to establish appropriate measures for improving the quality of life of those affected. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dementia among elderly Brazilians (> 60 years through a systematic review of high-quality, population-based, double-blind studies published between 1990 and 2010. DESIGN AND SETTING: Systematic review of prevalence studies. The manuscript was produced in the School of Medicine, Universidade de Brasília. METHODS: Database searches for articles were conducted in Medline (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, Embase (Excerpta Medica database, Lilacs (Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Ciências da Saúde, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online and theses and dissertations, using specific keywords. Quality was assessed according to eight criteria for sampling and measurement of findings. RESULTS: Out of 112 articles identified, eleven were included in the qualitative synthesis. In five higher-quality studies from São Paulo, the prevalence rates ranged from 5.1 to 19.0%. No meta-analysis was presented because of heterogeneity among the studies. Poor, illiterate, female and very elderly individuals were the groups most affected. CONCLUSION: The findings from this review did not reflect the reality of the whole country. Although the results brought some information on the prevalence and distribution of dementia in Brazil, cross-sectional studies with consistent methodology are needed

Are essential medicines in Malaysia accessible, affordable and available?

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Saleh, Kamaruzaman; Ibrahim, Mohamed I M

2005-12-01

To assess the pharmaceutical sector to know whether people have access to essential medicines. The study was conducted in 20 public health clinics, five public district drug stores and 20 private retail pharmacies selected randomly in five different areas randomly selected (four states and a federal territory). The methodology used was adopted from the World Health Organization study protocol. The degree of attainment of the strategic pharmaceutical objectives of improved access is measured by a list of tested indicators. Access is measured in terms of the availability and affordability of essential medicines, especially to the poor and in the public sector. The first survey in the public health clinics and public district drug stores gathered information about current availability of essential medicines, prevalence of stock-outs and affordability of treatment (except drug stores). The second survey assessed affordability of treatment in public health clinics and private retail pharmacies. Availability, stock-out duration, percent of medicines dispensed, accessibility and affordability of key medicines. The average availability of key medicines in the public health clinics for the country was 95.4%. The average stock-out duration of key medicines was 6.5 days. However, average availability of key medicines in the public district drug stores was 89.2%; with an average stock-out duration of 32.4 days. Medicines prescribed were 100% dispensed to the patients. Average affordability for public health clinics was 1.5 weeks salary and for the private pharmacies, 3.7 weeks salary. The present pharmaceutical situation in the context of essential medicines list implementation reflected that the majority of the population in Malaysia had access to affordable essential medicines. If medicines need to be obtained from the private sector, they are hardly affordable. Although the average availability of essential medicines in Malaysia was high being more than 95.0%, in certain

Evidence of a higher prevalence of HPV infection in HTLV-1-infected women: a cross-sectional study

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Sônia Sampaio Lôpo

2012-06-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION:HTLV-1 infection increases susceptibility to other infections. Few studies have addressed the co-infection between HPV and HTLV-1 and the immune response involved in this interaction. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of cervical HPV infection in HTLV-1-infected women and to establish the risk factors involved in this co-infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in Salvador, Brazil, between September 2005 and December 2008, involving 50 HTLV-1-infected women from the HTLV Reference Center and 40 uninfected patients from gynecological clinic, both at the Bahiana School of Medicine. HPV infection was assessed using hybrid capture. HTLV-1 proviral load was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR. RESULTS: The mean age of HTLV-1-infected women (38 ± 10 years was similar to that of the control group (36 ± 13 years. The prevalence of HPV infection was 44% in the HTLV-1-infected group and 22.5% in uninfected women (p = 0.03. HTLV-1-infected women had lower mean age at onset of sexual life (17 ± 3 years versus 19 ± 3 years; p = 0.03 and greater number of lifetime partners compared with the control group (4 ± 3 versus 2 ± 1; p < 0.01. In the group of HTLV-1-infected patients, there was neither difference in HTLV-1 proviral load between HPV-infected women and the uninfected. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HPV infection was higher in HTLV-1-infected women. Further studies should be performed to evaluate the progression of this co-infection.

Use of complementary and alternative medicine by patients with arthritis.

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Unsal, Ayla; Gözüm, Sebahat

2010-04-01

The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine use in patients with arthritis, the types of complementary and alternative medicine used, pertinent socio-demographic factors associated with complementary and alternative medicine use and its perceived efficacy. Arthritis is a major health issue, and the use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with arthritis is common. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from 250 patients with arthritis at the physiotherapy and immunology clinics Atatürk University Hospital in eastern Turkey between May-July 2005 using a questionnaire developed specifically for this study. The instrument included questions on socio-demographic information, disease specifics and complementary and alternative medicine usage. Seventy-six per cent of participants reported use of at least one form of complementary and alternative medicine in the previous year. Complementary and alternative medicine users and non-users were not significantly different in most socio-demographic characteristics including age, gender, marital status and education level with the exception of economic status. We categorised treatment into six complementary and alternative medicine categories: 62.6% of patients used thermal therapies; 41.5% used oral herbal therapies; 40.5% used hot therapies; 32.6% used externally applied (skin) therapies; 28.4% used massage and 12.6% used cold therapies. All forms of complementary and alternative medicine except thermal and oral herbal therapies were perceived as very effective by more than half of study participants. Complementary and alternative medicine therapy is widely used by patients with arthritis and has perceived beneficial effects. It is important for nurses and other health care professionals to be knowledgeable about the use of complementary and alternative medicine therapies when providing care to patients with arthritis because of

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Maonan people in China.

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Hong, Liya; Guo, Zhiyong; Huang, Kunhui; Wei, Shanjun; Liu, Bo; Meng, Shaowu; Long, Chunlin

2015-04-30

This paper is based on an ethnobotanical investigation that focused on the traditional medicinal plants used by local Maonan people to treat human diseases in Maonan concentration regions. The Maonan people have relied on traditional medicine since ancient times, especially medicinal plants. The aim of this study is to document medicinal plants used by the Maonans and to report the status of medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Ethnobotanical data were collected from June 2012 to September 2014 in Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County, northern Guangxi, southwest China. In total, 118 knowledgeable informants were interviewed. Following statistically sampling method, eighteen villages from 5 townships were selected to conduct field investigations. Information was collected through the approache of participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, ranking exercises, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory rural appraisals. A total of 368 medicinal plant species were investigated and documented together with their medicinal uses by the Maonans, most of which were obtained from the wild ecosystems. The plants were used to treat 95 human diseases. Grinding was a widely used method to prepare traditional herbal medicines. There were significant relationships between gender and age, and between gender and informants' knowledge of medicinal plant use. Deforestation for agricultural purposes was identified as the most destructive factor of medicinal plants, followed by drought and over-harvest. The species diversity of medicinal plants used by the Maonans in the study area was very rich. Medicinal plants played a significant role in healing various human disorders in the Maonan communities. However, the conflicts between traditional inheriting system and recent socio-economic changes (and other factors) resulted in the reduction or loss of both medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge. Thus, conservation efforts

Usefulness of patient studies in learning family medicine at ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The Master's in Family Medicine (M Fam Med) is a postgraduate training programme in family medicine at Medunsa. M Fam Med students have to write patient studies as part of requirements to complete their degree. This research was undertaken to develop a deeper understanding of their perceptions about ...

A School-Based Study of Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Medical Students in Beijing, China: Prevalence and Some Related Factors

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Yang Liu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. To investigate the prevalence and some related factors about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS in medical students. Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out from February 2014 to Jun 2014 in Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China. All participants were asked to completed self-administered questionnaires. Results. Seven hundred and sixty-seven medical students (23.26±2.88 years, 25.6% males completed the survey. The prevalence of IBS was 33.3%, with a high prevalence in women (36.1%. Among the IBS patients, 112 cases were IBS-M (43.9% and 77.6% had moderately severe IBS. There were no statistical differences between control group and IBS patients in anxiety and depression scores (P>0.05. The total score of Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI was significantly higher for medical students with IBS and 35.5% of IBS patients had severe sleep disorder; the scores of child trauma questionnaire (CTQ and student-life stress inventory (SLSI were also higher in IBS patients. Sex and sleep disorder were independently associated with IBS (OR, 1.914, 95%CI, 1.281–2.860; OR, 1.143, 95%CI, 1.074–1.216. Conclusion. Our study has many valuable findings and they may provide valuable suggestions for the necessary intervention and treatment measures towards medical students.

Medicine utilization review at a university teaching hospital in New Delhi

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M Aqil

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: A prospective medicine usage evaluation based on prescription monitoring was conducted in the medicine OPD of our university teaching hospital to know prescribing trends of different categories of medicines. Materials and Methods: A total of 600 patients were included in the study comprising of 339 (56.5% males and 261 (43.5% females. The data were recorded within the OPD by a registered pharmacist on a medicine usage evaluation form, approved by The University Institutional Review Board (IRB. Results: A total of 2365 medicines were prescribed to 600 patients during the 3 months study period. The mean number of medicines per prescription were found to be 3.94. Medicines were most frequently prescribed as solid dosage forms (85.62%, especially tablets (70.82%, and liquid formulations (14.12%. Oral route (96.17% was the most preferred mode of administration, followed by topical (2.11% and parenteral (1.60% routes. Combination therapy (94.33% was more prevalent than monotherapy (5.66%. An overwhelming tendency for prescribing medicines by brand names (99% was observed by the physicians. The most frequently prescribed class of medicines were antimicrobials > analgesics > cardiovascular > gastrointestinal agents. The most prescribed individual medicines among various therapeutic classes included isoniazid (antimicrobial, amlodipine (cardiovascular, metformin (hypoglycemic, cetirizine (antiallergic, rabeprazole (GI medicine, atorvastatin (hypolipidemic, dextromethorphan (respiratory medicine, alprazolam (sedative-hypnotic, paracetamol (analgesic. Conclusions: There is a considerable scope of improvement in the existing prescribing practice, especially prescribing by generic names, needs to be encouraged and a hospital formulary has to be developed for the purpose. The number of medicines to be included per prescription should be judged rationally and polypharmacy ought to be curbed. Use of antimicrobial also needs to be rationalized as over

Prevalence and appropriateness of psychotropic medication prescribing in a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of male and female prisoners in England

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Lamiece Hassan

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mental illness is highly prevalent among prisoners. Although psychotropic medicines can ameliorate symptoms of mental illness, prescribers in prisons must balance clinical needs against risks to safety and security. Concerns have been raised at the large number of prisoners reportedly receiving psychotropic medicines in England. Nonetheless, unlike for the wider community, robust prescribing data are not routinely available for prisons. We investigated gender-specific patterns in the prevalence and appropriateness of psychotropic prescribing in English prisons. Methods We studied 6052 men and 785 women in 11 prisons throughout England. This represented 7.9 % of male and 20.5 % of female prisoners nationally. Using a cross-sectional design, demographic and prescription data were collected from clinical records of all prisoners prescribed psychotropic medicines, including hypnotic, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, anti-manic, antidepressant and Central Nervous System stimulant medications. Percentages and 95 % CIs were used to estimate the prevalence of prescribing. The Prescribing Appropriate Indicators tool was used to determine appropriateness. Prevalence Ratios (PR were generated to make age-adjusted comparisons between prisoners and the general population using a dataset supplied by the Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Results Overall, 47.9 % (CI 44.4–51.4 of women and 16.9 % (CI 16.0–17.9 of men in prison were prescribed one or more psychotropic medicines. Compared with the general population, age-adjusted prescribing prevalence was six times higher among women (PR 5.95 CI 5.36–6.61 and four times higher among men (PR 4.02 CI 3.75–4.30. Undocumented or unapproved indications for prescriptions, not listed in the British National Formulary, were recorded in a third (34.7 %, CI 32.5–37.0 of cases, most commonly low mood and personality disorder. Conclusions Psychotropic medicines were prescribed frequently in

Complementary and alternative medicine use by visitors to rural Japanese family medicine clinics: results from the international complementary and alternative medicine survey.

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Shumer, Gregory; Warber, Sara; Motohara, Satoko; Yajima, Ayaka; Plegue, Melissa; Bialko, Matthew; Iida, Tomoko; Sano, Kiyoshi; Amenomori, Masaki; Tsuda, Tsukasa; Fetters, Michael D

2014-09-25

There is growing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) throughout the world, however previous research done in Japan has focused primarily on CAM use in major cities. The purpose of this study was to develop and distribute a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q) to assess the use of CAM among people who visit rural Japanese family medicine clinics. Using a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three rural family medicine clinics. All patients and those accompanying patients who met inclusion criteria were eligible to participate. Data were entered into SPSS Statistics and analyzed for use by age, gender, and location. Of the 519 respondents who participated in the project, 415 participants reported CAM use in the past 12 months (80.0%). When prayer is excluded, the prevalence of CAM use drops to 77.3% in the past year, or 403 respondents. The most common forms of CAM used by respondents were pain relief pads (n = 170, 32.8%), herbal medicines/supplements (n = 167, 32.2%), and massage by self or family (n = 166, 32.0%). Female respondents, individuals with higher levels of education, and those with poorer overall health status were more likely to use CAM than respondents without these characteristics. Only 22.8% of CAM therapies used were reported to physicians by survey participants. These data indicate that CAM use in rural Japan is common. The results are consistent with previous studies that show that Japanese individuals are more interested in forms of CAM such as pain relief pads and massage, than in mind-body forms of CAM like relaxation and meditation. Due to the high utilization of certain CAM practices, and given that most CAM users do not disclose their CAM use to their doctors, we conclude that physicians in rural Japan would benefit by asking about CAM use

Sleep medicine in Saudi Arabia: Current problems and future challenges

Science.gov (United States)

BaHammam, Ahmed S.

2011-01-01

Sleep medicine is a relatively new specialty in the medical community. The practice of sleep medicine in Saudi Arabia (KSA) began in the mid to late nineties. Since its inception, the specialty has grown, and the number of specialists has increased. Nevertheless, sleep medicine is still underdeveloped in the KSA, particularly in the areas of clinical service, education, training and research. Based on available data, it appears that sleep disorders are prevalent among Saudis, and the demand for sleep medicine service is expected to rise significantly in the near future. A number of obstacles have been defined that hinder the progress of the specialty, including a lack of trained technicians, specialists and funding. Awareness about sleep disorders and their serious consequences is low among health care workers, health care authorities, insurance companies and the general public. A major challenge for the future is penetrating the educational system at all levels to demonstrate the high prevalence and serious consequences of sleep disorders. To attain adequate numbers of staff and facilities, the education and training of health care professionals at the level of sleep medicine specialists and sleep technologists is another important challenge that faces the specialty. This review discusses the current position of sleep medicine as a specialty in the KSA and the expected challenges of the future. In addition, it will guide clinicians interested in setting up new sleep medicine services in the KSA or other developing countries through the potential obstacles that may face them in this endeavor. PMID:21264164

Sleep medicine in Saudi Arabia: Current problems and future challenges

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BaHammam Ahmed

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sleep medicine is a relatively new specialty in the medical community. The practice of sleep medicine in Saudi Arabia (KSA began in the mid to late nineties. Since its inception, the specialty has grown, and the number of specialists has increased. Nevertheless, sleep medicine is still underdeveloped in the KSA, particularly in the areas of clinical service, education, training and research. Based on available data, it appears that sleep disorders are prevalent among Saudis, and the demand for sleep medicine service is expected to rise significantly in the near future. A number of obstacles have been defined that hinder the progress of the specialty, including a lack of trained technicians, specialists and funding. Awareness about sleep disorders and their serious consequences is low among health care workers, health care authorities, insurance companies and the general public. A major challenge for the future is penetrating the educational system at all levels to demonstrate the high prevalence and serious consequences of sleep disorders. To attain adequate numbers of staff and facilities, the education and training of health care professionals at the level of sleep medicine specialists and sleep technologists is another important challenge that faces the specialty. This review discusses the current position of sleep medicine as a specialty in the KSA and the expected challenges of the future. In addition, it will guide clinicians interested in setting up new sleep medicine services in the KSA or other developing countries through the potential obstacles that may face them in this endeavor.

Preventable Admissions on a General Medicine Service: Prevalence, Causes and Comparison with AHRQ Prevention Quality Indicators-A Cross-Sectional Analysis.

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Patel, Krishna K; Vakharia, Nirav; Pile, James; Howell, Erik H; Rothberg, Michael B

2016-06-01

Rates of preventable admissions will soon be publicly reported and used in calculating performance-based payments. The current method of assessing preventable admissions, the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Preventable Quality Indicators (PQI) rate, is drawn from claims data and was originally designed to assess population-level access to care. To identify the prevalence and causes of preventable admissions by attending physician review and to compare its performance with the PQI tool in identifying preventable admissions. Cross-sectional survey. General medicine service at an academic medical center. Consecutive inpatient admissions from December 1-15, 2013. Survey of inpatient attending physicians regarding the preventability of the admissions, primary contributing factors and feasibility of prevention. For the same patients, the PQI tool was applied to determine the claims-derived preventable admission rate. Physicians rated all 322 admissions and classified 122 (38 %) as preventable, of which 31 (25 %) were readmissions. Readmissions were more likely to be rated preventable than other admissions (49 % vs. 35 %, p = 0.04). Application of the AHRQ PQI methodology identified 75 (23 %) preventable admissions. Thirty-one admissions (10 %) were classified as preventable by both methods, and the majority of admissions considered preventable by the AHRQ PQI method (44/78) were not considered preventable by physician assessment (K = 0.04). Of the preventable admissions, physicians assigned patient factors in 54 (44 %), clinician factors in 36 (30 %) and system factors in 32 (26 %). A large proportion of admissions to a general medicine service appeared preventable, but AHRQ's PQI tool was unable to identify these admissions. Before initiation of the PQI rate for use in pay-for-performance programs, further study is warranted.

The prevalence of amblyopia in Germany: data from the prospective, population-based Gutenberg Health Study.

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Elflein, Heike M; Fresenius, Susanne; Lamparter, Julia; Pitz, Susanne; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Binder, Harald; Wild, Philipp; Mirshahi, Alireza

2015-05-08

Amblyopia is due to insufficient development of the visual system in early childhood and is a major source of lifelong impairment of visual acuity. Too little is known about the prevalence of amblyopia in Germany and the frequency of its various causes. The Gutenberg Health Study of the University of Mainz Faculty of Medicine is an ongoing population-based, prospective, monocentric cohort study with 15 010 participants aged 35 to 74. All participants are examined for the presence of ocular, cardiovascular, neoplastic, metabolic, immunologic, and mental diseases. 3227 participants aged 35 to 44 underwent ophthalmological examination from 2007 to 2012. Amblyopia was defined as impaired visual acuity in the absence of any organic pathology capable of explaining the condition, and in the presence of a known risk factor for amblyopia. Amblyopia, when defined as a visual acuity less than or equal to 0.63, was present in 182 participants (5.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.9-6.5%), 120 of whom had a visual acuity less than or equal to 0.5 (3.7%, 95% CI 3.3-5.2%). A narrower definition of amblyopia requiring, in addition, an interocular difference in acuity of at least two lines yielded slightly lower prevalence figures: 5.0% (95% CI 4.2-5.8%) and 3.7% (95% CI 3.1-4.4%), respectively. The causes of amblyopia (visual acuity ≤ 0.63) were anisometropia (different refractive strengths of the two eyes) in 49% of participants, strabismus (a squint) in 23%, both of these factors in 17%, and visual deprivation in 2%. 3 patients (2%) had relative amblyopia due to a traumatic cataract sustained in early childhood. 7% of the participants with amblyopia had binocular amblyopia. This study yielded a prevalence figure of 5.6% for amblyopia in Germany-a higher figure than in other, comparable population-based studies, which have generally yielded figures of ca. 3% for visual acuity ≤ 0.63. The distribution of the causes of amblyopia is similar across studies.

Prospective study on prevalence, intensity, type, and therapy of acute pain in a second-level urban emergency department

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Mura P

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Paolo Mura,1 Elisabetta Serra,1 Franco Marinangeli,2 Sebastiano Patti,3 Mario Musu,1 Ilenia Piras,3 Maria Valeria Massidda,1 Giorgio Pia,3 Maurizio Evangelista,4 Gabriele Finco1 1Department of Medical Sciences “M. Aresu”, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy; 3Department of Emergency Medicine, Santissima Trinità Hospital, Cagliari, Italy; 4Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Cattolica University, Rome, Italy Aim: Pain represents the most frequent cause for patient admission to emergency departments (EDs. Oligoanalgesia is a common problem in this field. The aims of this study were to assess prevalence and intensity of pain in patients who visited a second-level urban ED and to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological treatment administered subsequent to variations in pain intensity. Methods: A 4-week prospective observational study was carried out on 2,838 patients who visited a second-level urban ED. Pain intensity was evaluated using the Numeric Rating Scale at the moment of triage. The efficacy of prescribed analgesic therapy was evaluated at 30 and 60 minutes, and at discharge. Data concerning pain intensity were classified as absent, slight, mild, or severe. Pain was evaluated in relation to the prescribed therapy. Results: Pain prevalence was 70.7%. Traumatic events were the primary cause in most cases (40.44%, followed by pain linked to urologic problems (13.52%, abdominal pain (13.39%, and nontraumatic musculoskeletal pain (7.10%. Only 32.46% of patients were given pharmacological therapy. Of these, 76% reported severe pain, 19% moderate, and 5% slight, and 66% received nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or paracetamol, 4% opioids, and 30% other therapies. A difference of at least 2 points on the Numerical Rating Scale was observed in 84% of patients on reevaluation following initial analgesic therapy

Sero-prevalence of infectious bursal disease in backyard chickens ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SINIDU

2015-02-04

Feb 4, 2015 ... Mekelle University College of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia. Received ... 2012 to determine the sero-prevalence and risk factors of IBD infection .... Avian pathology of industrial poultry farms in. Ethiopia ...

Study Gaps Relevant to Use of Complementary Medicine in Patients With Leukemia: A Review Study

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Miladinia

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Context A review of the literature of recent decades has shown that few studies have been conducted on the effects of various types of complementary medicine on patients with leukemia. Therefore, the present study aimed to find research gaps in the use of different types of complementary medicine in patients with leukemia to be applied in future studies. Evidence Acquisition The present study was a review-type design based on a review of the literature on different types of complementary medicine in patients with leukemia, up to 2015. The search was conducted through electronic databases and search engines. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 8 studies which had been conducted on the use of complementary medicine in patients with leukemia were selected for the identification of gaps. Results The overall results showed that few studies have been conducted on the use of exercise, massage therapy, music therapy, acupressure, and healing touch in patients with leukemia, and these subjects are potential research areas for many different studies. However, no studies have been carried out on the effects of acupuncture, relaxation, and yoga on these patients. Conclusions The results of this review showed that the number of studies on the use of complementary medicine in leukemia patients is very limited (especially in Iran, and it can be the subject of numerous studies in the future.

A Clinical Study of Subtype-based Prevalence of Dry Eye.

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Rege, Aditya; Kulkarni, Varsha; Puthran, Neelam; Khandgave, Tejaswini

2013-10-01

Dry Eye is a multifactorial disease of the tearfilm and the ocular surface which may be due to reduced tear production or excessive tear evaporation resulting in discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with a potential damage to the ocular surface. Various population-based studies have been done to find out the prevalence and the magnitude of the problem. Women Health Study reported prevalence of 7.8% after screening 36995 subjects above 49 years by interview. The prevalence reported by Blue Mountain Study was 15.3% .The Beaver Dam Study and Shiphai Eye studies are other studies reporting prevalence of 14.5% and 33.7% respectively. McMonnies questionnaire is a widely used screening instrument for Dry-Eye syndromes with sensitivity reportedly varying between 87% and 98% and specificity between 87% and 97%. Prevalence studies use McMonnie's questionnaire for screening individuals for Dry Eye, whereafter tests like Schirmer's test, Tear Film Break Up Time test, Rose Bengal test, Lissamine Green test and Meibomian Gland Dysfunction test are useful for further evaluation. While these tests help to differentiate the subtypes of Dry Eye such as Lipid Anomaly Dry Eye, Aqueous Tear Deficiency and Mucin Layer Deficiency, however, their sensitivity and specificity has not been widely studied. Additionally, very few studies have reported the prevalence of the various subtypes of Dry Eye. To determine the subtype-based prevalence of Dry Eye, to study the specificity and sensitivity of clinical tests for Dry Eye and to correlate McMonnies questionnaire with Dry Eye tests results. A prospective, cross-sectional, observational study, duly approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee, was conducted from October 2010 to April 2012. A total of 4750 subjects above 18 yrs of age were screened by the McMonnies questionnaire. Respondents having a score greater than 14.5 were subjected to clinical Dry Eye tests. The data obtained was analyzed using chi-square test. p

Prevalence and cause of smoking in the medicine students

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R. Ansari

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Young smokers have been more exposed to great stresses and mishaps in their lives,compared to non-smokers. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of tendency to cigarettesmoking and its reasons among medical students.Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was carried out on the population ofmedical students in Tehran. Two hundred and eighty students were selected by classifiedrandomization from the students in term one, four and seven (students in each term was considered aseparate group. Inclusion criteria were the same for all groups. The questionnaire comprised 45questions including 29 common questions, 5 questions for smokers, 3 questions for recreationalsmokers, 7 questions for ex-smokers, and 2 questions for non-smokers. Data analysis was performedusing descriptive statistics and Chi-square test by SPSS-10 sofware.Results: There was no female smoker among the students, except 5 percent of the students in termseven who had smoked recreationally. The most important reasons for cigarette smoking were forpleasure and decreasing anxiety. However, maintaining the health was the most important reason forthe lack of tendency to smoking among male non-smokers. Female non-smokers had also the reason ofunacceptable social impact of smoking for their disinclination.Discussion: The results of current study showed that medical students are predisposed to havetendency to cigarette smoking due to psychological stresses, which are most probably related to theiracademic major.

Prevalence of food sensitization and probable food allergy among adults in India: the EuroPrevall INCO study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahesh, P. A.; Wong, Gary W. K.; Ogorodova, L.; Potts, J.; Leung, T. F.; Fedorova, O.; Holla, Amrutha D.; Fernandez-Rivas, M.; Clare Mills, E. N.; Kummeling, I.; Versteeg, S. A.; van Ree, R.; Yazdanbakhsh, M.; Burney, P.

2016-01-01

Data are lacking regarding the prevalence of food sensitization and probable food allergy among general population in India. We report the prevalence of sensitization and probable food allergy to 24 common foods among adults from general population in Karnataka, South India. The study was conducted

Ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicine studies: some experiences from Asia.

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Sheng-Ji, P

2001-01-01

Ethnobotany, as a research field of science, has been widely used for the documentation of indigenous knowledge on the use of plants and for providing an inventory of useful plants from local flora in Asian countries. Plants that are used for traditional herbal medicine in different countries are an important part of these studies. However, in some countries in recent years, ethnobotanical studies have been used for the discovery of new drugs and new drug development. In general, experiences gained from ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies in China and Himalayan countries have helped drug production and new drug development. At the same time, in many cases, over-harvesting, degradation of medical plants, and loss of traditional medical knowledge in local communities are common problems in these resource areas. Issues of indigenous knowledge, intellectual property rights, and uncontrolled transboundary trade in medicinal plants occur frequently in the region. This paper discusses ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies, in reference to experiences from China and Himalayan countries, with an emphasis on the conservation of traditional medical knowledge and medical plant resources.

Resident experience of abuse and harassment in emergency medicine: ten years later.

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Li, Siu Fai; Grant, Kelly; Bhoj, Tanuja; Lent, Gretchen; Garrick, Jocelyn Freeman; Greenwald, Peter; Haber, Marc; Singh, Malini; Prodany, Karla; Sanchez, Leon; Dickman, Eitan; Spencer, James; Perera, Tom; Cowan, Ethan

2010-02-01

In 1995, a Society for Academic Emergency Medicine in-service survey reported high rates of verbal and physical abuse experienced by Emergency Medicine (EM) residents. We sought to determine the prevalence of abuse and harassment 10 years later to bring attention to these issues and determine if there has been a change in the prevalence of abuse over this time period. To determine the prevalence of abuse and harassment in a sample of EM residencies. We conducted a cross-section survey of EM residents from 10 residencies. EM residents were asked about their experience with verbal abuse, verbal threats, physical threats, physical attacks, sexual harassment, and racial harassment; and by whom. The primary outcome of the study was the prevalence of abuse and harassment as reported by EM residents. There were 196 of 380 residents (52%) who completed the survey. The prevalence of any type of abuse experienced was 91%; 86% of residents experienced verbal abuse, 65% verbal threats, 50% physical threats, 26% physical attacks, 23% sexual harassment, and 26% racial harassment. Women were more likely than men to encounter sexual harassment (37% [38/102] vs. 8% [7/92]; p harassment was not limited to minorities (23% [16/60] for Caucasians vs. 26% [29/126] for non-Caucasians; p = 0.59). Senior residents were more likely to have encountered verbal and physical abuse. Only 12% of residents formally reported the abuse they experienced. Abuse and harassment during EM residency continues to be commonplace and is underreported. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Needlestick injuries in veterinary medicine.

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Weese, J Scott; Jack, Douglas C

2008-08-01

Needlestick injuries are an inherent risk of handling needles during the course of veterinary practice. While significant effort has been expended to reduce needlestick injuries in human medicine, a relatively lax approach seems to be prevalent in veterinary medicine. It appears that needlestick injuries are very common among veterinary personnel and that serious adverse effects, while uncommon, do occur. Clients may also receive injuries in clinics during the course of animal restraint, and at home following prescription of injectable medications or fluids. Because of occupational health, personal health, and liability concerns, veterinary practices should review the measures they are taking to reduce the likelihood of needlestick injuries and develop written needlestick injury avoidance protocols.

Effectiveness of medicines authentication technology to detect counterfeit, recalled and expired medicines: a two-stage quantitative secondary care study

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Naughton, Bernard; Roberts, Lindsey; Dopson, Sue; Chapman, Stephen; Brindley, David

2016-01-01

Objectives To identify the authentication and detection rate of serialised medicines using medicines authentication technology. Design and intervention 4192 serialised medicines were entered into a hospital dispensary over two separate 8-week stages in 2015. Medicines were authenticated using secure external database cross-checking, triggered by the scanning of a two-dimensional data matrix with a unit specific 12-digit serial code. 4% of medicines included were preprogrammed with a message to identify the product as either expired, pack recalled, product recalled or counterfeit. Setting A site within a large UK National Health Service teaching hospital trust. Participants Accredited checking staff, pharmacists and dispensers in a pharmacy department. Primary outcome measures Authentication and detection rate of counterfeit expired and recalled medicines. Results The operational detection rate of counterfeit, recalled and expired medicines scanned as a combined group was 81.4% (stage 1 (S1)) and 87% (stage 2 (S2)). The technology's technical detection rate (TDR) was 100%; however, not all medicines were scanned and of those that were scanned not all that generated a warning message were quarantined. Owing to an operational authentication rate (OAR) of 66.3% (over both stages), only 31.8% of counterfeit medicines, 58% of recalled drugs and 64% of expired medicines were detected as a proportion of those entered into the study. Response times (RTs) of 152 ms (S1) and 165 ms (S2) were recorded, meeting the falsified medicines directive-mandated 300 ms limit. Conclusions TDRs and RTs were not a limiting factor in this study. The suboptimal OAR poses significant quality and safety issues with this detection approach. Authentication at the checking stage, however, demonstrated higher OARs. There is a need for further qualitative research to establish the reasons for less than absolute authentication and detection rates in the hospital environment to improve this

A Study on the Korean Medicine Education and the Changes in the Traditional Korean Medicine during the Japanese Colonial Era: Focused on the Korean Medicine Training Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yongyuan

2018-04-01

The modern education institutes play an important role in fostering professional talents, reproducing knowledge and studies, and forming the identities of certain academic fields and vocational communities. It is a matter of common knowledge that the absence of an official Korean medicine medical school during the Japanese colonial era was a severely disadvantageous factor in the aspects of academic progress, fostering follow-up personnel, and establishment of social capability. Therefore, the then Korean medicine circle put emphasis on inadequate official education institutes as the main factor behind oppression. Furthermore, as the measure to promote the continuance of Korean medicine, the circle regarded establishing civilian Korean medicine training schools as their long-cherished wish and strived to accomplish the mission even after liberation. This study looked into how the Korean medicine circle during the Japanese colonial era utilized civilian training schools to conduct the Korean medicine education conforming to modern medical school and examined how the operation of these training schools influenced the changes in the traditional Korean medicine. After the introduction of the Western medical science, the Korean medicine circle aimed to improve the quality of Korean medicine doctors by establishing modern Korean medicine medical schools. However, after the annexation of Korea and Japan, official Korean medicine medical schools were not established since policies were organized centered on the Western medical science. In this light, the Korean medicine circle strived to nurture the younger generation of Korean medicine by establishing and operating the civilian Korean medicine training schools after the annexation between Korea and Japan. The schools were limited in terms of scale and status but possessed the forms conforming to the modern medical schools in terms of education system. In other words, the civilian training schools not only adhered to the

Medicinal plants: traditions and study prospects (devoted to the 100th anniversary of establishing the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants

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О. С. Дем’янюк

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Historical review was done concerning the formation and development of scientific research of the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants over the period 1916–2016. The main stages of experimenting in the direction of “medicinal plant cultivation’’ in Ukraine were covered. Role and importance of the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants in the scientific and methodological support of such scientific directions as breeding, seed production, cultivation technologies, pharmacognosy in medicinal plant cultivation were shown. For the needs of the branch, over 100 species of introduced medicinal plants were studied at the Station and agricultu­ral techniques of their growing were developed, in addition, more than 50 varieties of medicinal plants were crea­ted, a number of machines and devices for growing, harves­ting and initial treatment of raw materials and seeds of the most important medicinal plants was designed. Other scientific achievements of the Station were mentioned and promising areas of medicinal plant research in Ukraine were outlined.

Topics of internal medicine for undergraduate dental education: a qualitative study.

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Kunde, A; Harendza, S

2015-08-01

Due to the ageing population, internal medicine has become increasingly important for dental education. Although several studies have reported dentists' dissatisfaction with their internal medicine training, no guidelines exist for internal medicine learning objectives in dental education. The aim of this study was to identify topics of internal medicine considered to be relevant for dental education by dentists and internists. Eight dentists from private dental practices in Hamburg and eight experienced internal medicine consultants from Hamburg University Hospital were recruited for semi-structured interviews about internal medicine topics relevant for dentists. Internal diseases were clustered into representative subspecialties. Dentists and internists were also asked to rate medical diseases or emergencies compiled from the literature by their relevance to dental education. Coagulopathy and endocarditis were rated highest by dentists, whilst anaphylaxis was rated highest by internists. Dentists rated hepatitis, HIV, organ transplantation and head/neck neoplasm significantly higher than internists. The largest number of different internal diseases mentioned by dentists or internists could be clustered under cardiovascular diseases. The number of specific diseases dentists considered to be relevant for dental education was higher in the subspecialties cardiovascular diseases, haematology/oncology and infectiology. We identified the internal medicine topics most relevant for dental education by surveying practising dentists and internists. The relevance of these topics should be confirmed by larger quantitative studies to develop guidelines how to design specific learning objectives for internal medicine in the dental curriculum. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Herbal medicine for insomnia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

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Leach, Matthew J; Page, Amy T

2015-12-01

Insomnia is a prevalent sleep disorder that can profoundly impact a person's health and wellbeing. Herbal medicine represents one of the most frequently used complementary and alternative treatments of insomnia. However, the safety and efficacy of herbal medicine for the treatment of this disorder is currently uncertain. In order to ascertain the evidence base for herbal medicine for insomnia, we systematically searched seventeen electronic databases and the reference lists of included studies for relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Fourteen RCTs, involving a total of 1602 participants with insomnia, met the inclusion criteria. Four distinct orally administered herbal monopreparations were identified (i.e., valerian, chamomile, kava and wuling). There was no statistically significant difference between any herbal medicine and placebo, or any herbal medicine and active control, for any of the thirteen measures of clinical efficacy. As for safety, a similar or smaller number of adverse events per person were reported with kava, chamomile and wuling when compared with placebo. By contrast, a greater number of events per person were reported with valerian. While there is insufficient evidence to support the use of herbal medicine for insomnia, there is a clear need for further research in this area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[A study of treatise on medicine by King Sejo].

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Im-kyung; Hwang, Sang-lk

2003-12-01

This paper explores historical backgrounds and contents of Treatise on Medicine written by King Sejo (r. 1455-1468) including his views on traditional medicine and pharmacy in the early Chosen period. The Treatise declared by King Sejo in 1463 has been considered as an important and unique manual of medicine because it was the exclusive example written by the king of Chosen. It was the King Sejo' s era when the medical milieu in both social and medical aspects was highly encouraged thanks to the previous achievements by King Sejong the Great (r.1418-1450). King Sejo, in particular, who was much interested in practical learning called 'Miscellaneous Studies', emphasized on court medicine. His writing can be understood in such historical frame. Another reason why he wrote the Treatise can be said that he felt necessary for establishing the medical ethic codes for inefficient court medicine-officials. In personal background, he tried to find available remedies since he had been suffered from some chronic diseases. The contents of the Treatise can be broadly fallen to the clinical and ethical aspects. In the former one, the Treatise focuses on treatment without hesitation through the sharp and exact diagnosis by medical doctors. In the latter one, eight categories of medical doctors are discussed according to their moral degrees: sim'eui, sik'eui, yak'eui, hon'eui, kwang eui, mang'eui, sa'eui, and sal'eui. Finally, musim' ji-eui was supplemented. Among them, sal'eui, medicine-official lacking both medical ability and ethical attitude, was classified as the lowest degree; sim'eui, medicine-official sincerely making his all efforts for patients, was thought to be a paragon of medical morality. In conclusion, the Treatise on Medicine by King Sejo played an important role as a manual for the principle of medical practice and for the instruction to enhance ethical attitude among medicine-officials.

Prevalence of Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome in Australia: has thiamine fortification made a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Harper, Clive G; Sheedy, Donna L; Lara, Ana I; Garrick, Therese M; Hilton, John M; Raisanen, Jack

2012-01-01

Objective To determine the prevalence of the Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) in Australia and compare this with previous studies. Design and setting Prospective autopsy study at the New South Wales Institute of Forensic Medicine, 1996-1997. Methods Brains of deceased people (aged over 15 years) derived from 2212 sequential autopsies performed between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997 were studied macroscopically and microscopically to identify cases of WKS. Main outcome measures Standard histological criteria for WKS and any available clinical data. Results Twenty-five cases of WKS were identified (prevalence, 1.1%), mostly among the 5.9% of the 2212 people who had a history suggestive of alcohol abuse. Only four cases (16%) had been diagnosed during life. Conclusions There has been a significant reduction in the prevalence of WKS in Australia since the introduction of thiamine enrichment of bread flour. While the prevalence is still higher than in most other Western countries, further research is needed before adding thiamine to alcoholic beverages can be recommended. PMID:9640303

Researches on Transcriptome Sequencing in the Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Xin, Jie; Zhang, Rong-chao; Wang, Lei

2017-01-01

Due to its incomparable advantages, the application of transcriptome sequencing in the study of traditional Chinese medicine attracts more and more attention of researchers, which greatly promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine. In this paper, the applications of transcriptome sequencing in traditional Chinese medicine were summarized by reviewing recent related papers. PMID:28900463

Facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use in Accra, Ghana: an inductive exploratory study

OpenAIRE

Aziato, Lydia; Antwi, Hannah Ohemeng

2016-01-01

Background The use of complementary and alternative medicine including herbal medicine is increasing in many countries including Ghana. However, there is paucity of research on the perspectives of patrons of herbal medicine regarding the facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use. This study sought to investigate the facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine among Ghanaian adults who use one form of herbal medicine or the other. Methods The study employed an inductive exploratory qua...

Functional dyspepsia: A new approach from traditional Persian medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Pasalar, Mehdi; Nimrouzi, Majid; Choopani, Rasool; Mosaddegh, Mahmoud; Kamalinejad, Mohammad; Mohagheghzadeh, Abdolali; Bagheri Lankarani, Kamran

2016-01-01

Objective: One of the most common global disorders is related to gastrointestinal system. Functional dyspepsia (FD) defined as upper abdominal pain and discomfort in the absence of organic ailments is a prevalent disease without any confirmed medication. The purpose of this study was to find gastric disorders which might be coincidental to FD based on traditional Persian medicine (TPM). Materials and Methods: We searched the main textbooks of TPM including Al-Havi (by Rhazes), Canon of medicine (by Avicenna), ZakhireKhawrazmshahi (by Ismail Jorjani), Moalijat-e Aghili and Makhzan Al-adviya (by Mohammad Hosein AghiliShirazi), and ExirAzam (by Hakim Azam Khan). Also, we searched Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct, Medline, scientific information database (SID), Iranmedex and Google Scholar from 1980 to 1 August 2014 for dyspepsia, gastrointestinal disease, traditional Persian medicine, and gastric dystemperaments. Results: There is no equivalent term for FD in traditional Persian medicine although similar signs and symptoms are visible in terms like simple cold dystemperament of stomach, indigestion, and digestion debility in TPM sources. Some treatments mentioned in TPM have shown promising results in the current experimental tests. Conclusion: Finding these similarities in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) textbooks may lead to discovering new remedies for this widespread disease. PMID:27222829

Functional dyspepsia: A new approach from traditional Persian medicine

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Mehdi Pasalar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: One of the most common global disorders is related to gastrointestinal system. Functional dyspepsia (FD defined as upper abdominal pain and discomfort in the absence of organic ailments is a prevalent disease without any confirmed medication. The purpose of this study was to find gastric disorders which might be coincidental to FD based on traditional Persian medicine (TPM. Materials and Methods: We searched the main textbooks of TPM including Al-Havi (by Rhazes, Canon of medicine (by Avicenna, ZakhireKhawrazmshahi (by Ismail Jorjani, Moalijat-e Aghili and Makhzan Al-adviya (by Mohammad Hosein AghiliShirazi, and ExirAzam (by Hakim Azam Khan. Also, we searched Pubmed, Scopus, Science Direct, Medline, scientific information database (SID, Iranmedex and Google Scholar from 1980 to 1 August 2014 for dyspepsia, gastrointestinal disease, traditional Persian medicine, and gastric dystemperaments. Results: There is no equivalent term for FD in traditional Persian medicine although similar signs and symptoms are visible in terms like simple cold dystemperament of stomach, indigestion, and digestion debility in TPM sources. Some treatments mentioned in TPM have shown promising results in the current experimental tests. Conclusion: Finding these similarities in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM textbooks may lead to discovering new remedies for this widespread disease.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by Sabaots of Mt. Elgon Kenya.

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Okello, S V; Nyunja, R O; Netondo, G W; Onyango, J C

2009-10-15

Though the majority of people in Kenya and at Kopsiro Division in particular, rely on ethnomedicinal plant species to manage human ailments, the indigenous knowledge largely remains undocumented. Therefore, an ethnobotanical study was conducted on medicinal plant species used to manage human ailments at Kopsiro Division Mt. Elgon District Kenya. The objectives were to identify and document plants traditionally used for medicinal therapy by the Sabaots, to find out the method used for preparing and administering the drugs and to find out the conservation practices for the medicinal plants. Observations and semi-structured interviews were used to gather ethnobotanical data. 107 plants belonging to 56 families were identified and reported to be of medicinal value to the locals. Roots (47.3%) were the most frequently used parts of the plant followed by the bark (23.35%) then leaves (22.75%). The whole plant (1.8%), seed (1.2%), fruit (1.2%), sap (1.2%), flower (0.6%) and wood (0.6%) are least used in that order. The study revealed other hitherto undocumented medicinal plant species that may be new records for treating various ailments. Traditional medicine in Kopsiro division offers cheap, accessible and convenient remedy that suits the traditional lifestyle of the local community in comparison to the conventional medicine. Most medicinal plant species reported in this study were found to be under threat and this calls for urgent conservation measures so as to maximize the sustainable use of these vital resources in the study area.

Precision medicine for advanced prostate cancer.

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Mullane, Stephanie A; Van Allen, Eliezer M

2016-05-01

Precision cancer medicine, the use of genomic profiling of patient tumors at the point-of-care to inform treatment decisions, is rapidly changing treatment strategies across cancer types. Precision medicine for advanced prostate cancer may identify new treatment strategies and change clinical practice. In this review, we discuss the potential and challenges of precision medicine in advanced prostate cancer. Although primary prostate cancers do not harbor highly recurrent targetable genomic alterations, recent reports on the genomics of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer has shown multiple targetable alterations in castration-resistant prostate cancer metastatic biopsies. Therapeutic implications include targeting prevalent DNA repair pathway alterations with PARP-1 inhibition in genomically defined subsets of patients, among other genomically stratified targets. In addition, multiple recent efforts have demonstrated the promise of liquid tumor profiling (e.g., profiling circulating tumor cells or cell-free tumor DNA) and highlighted the necessary steps to scale these approaches in prostate cancer. Although still in the initial phase of precision medicine for prostate cancer, there is extraordinary potential for clinical impact. Efforts to overcome current scientific and clinical barriers will enable widespread use of precision medicine approaches for advanced prostate cancer patients.

[Children's and adolescent's use of medicine for aches and psychological problems: secular trends from 1988 to 2006.

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holstein, Bjørn; Andersen, Anette; Due, Pernille

2009-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Medicine use for aches and psychological problems is common among adolescents. Medicines are toxic and may have harmful side effects. It is therefore important to study change over time and patterns of medicine use. The objective of this paper is to describe self-reported medicine use...... for headaches, stomach-aches, difficulties in falling asleep, and nervousness among 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old boys and girls from 1968 to 2006. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data material is 6 comparable and representative cross-sectional studies of 11-, 13-, and 15-year-olds from 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2002......: There was a significant increase in 11-, 13-, and 15-year-old student's use of medicine for aches and psychological problems from 1988 to 2006. In the same period, there was a decrease in the prevalence of students who reported pains monthly. Udgivelsesdato: 2009-Jan-5...

Burnout prevalence in New Zealand's public hospital senior medical workforce: a cross-sectional mixed methods study

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Frampton, Christopher M A; Barclay, Murray; McKee, Martin

2016-01-01

Objectives To explore the prevalence of, and associated factors contributing to burnout among senior doctors and dentists working in the New Zealand's public health system. Design Cross-sectional, mixed methods study. Setting New Zealand's 20 district health boards (DHBs). Participants A total of 1487 of 3740 senior doctors and dentists who are members of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists working in DHBs were recruited (response rate 40%). Primary and secondary outcome measures Gender, age, self-rated health status, vocation and hours of work per week were obtained from an electronic questionnaire. Burnout was measured using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory. Qualitative data taken from an open-ended comments section was coded using grounded theory and used for contextual data. Results The overall prevalence of high personal burnout was 50%. Women aged burnout. Prevalence of high work-related burnout and patient-related burnout was 42% and 16%, respectively. Those working in emergency medicine and psychiatry had significantly higher mean work-related burnout than other specialties (pburnout. Personal burnout rates decreased with age (age 30–39 OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.78 to 4.59, age 40–49 OR 2.45, 95% CI 1.70 to 3.55, age 50–59 OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.46, compared with age>60). Qualitative data emphasised intense and unrelenting workloads, under-staffing, onerous on-call duties and frustrations with management as factors contributing to burnout. Conclusions High burnout appears prevalent in New Zealand's senior doctors and dentists. Many attribute their feelings of burnout to work conditions. These findings may assist with understanding contributors to burnout and with developing strategies to ameliorate the high burnout found across this cohort. PMID:27881531

Use of generic medicines by the Brazilian population: an evaluation of PNAUM 2014

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Andréa Dâmaso Bertoldi

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To analyze the existence of differences in the use of generic medicines in Brazil according to demographic and socioeconomic variables and acquisition sources of the medicines. METHODS Population-based cross-sectional study, conducted with data from the Pesquisa Nacional de Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines. Data collection took place between September, 2013 and February, 2014 in homes of Brazilian cities (urban area. The use of medicines has been investigated in relation to the treatment of chronic diseases and, in the case of acute events, regarding use over the previous 15 days. Generics were identified by visualization of packaging presented by the users of the medicines. The independent variables used were sex, age, education level, economic class, and region of the Country. The statistical significance of differences between the groups was evaluated by Pearson’s Chi-squared test, considering a 5% significance level. RESULTS The prevalence of generic medicines use was 45.5% (95%CI 43.7–47.3. There was no difference considering education level. The prevalence was higher in females (47.0%; 95%CI 44.9–49.0 than in males (43.1%; 95%CI 40.5–45.8, and were higher with increasing age. Generic medicines were more used in the economic class C (47.0%; 95%CI 44.9–49.1 and in the South (50.6%; 95%CI 46.6–54.6 and Southeast (49.9%; 95%CI 46.8–53.0 regions. Generics accounted for 37.3% of the medicines provided by the Brazilian Unified Health System. CONCLUSIONS Currently, there is a choice of purchase or free provision by the Brazilian Unified Health System, characterized by quality assurance and reduced price regarding branded medicines considered as reference. In the private market, a considerable part of the population is choosing generic medicines thanks to the availability of this option for virtually

Use of complementary and alternative medicines during the third trimester.

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Pallivalapila, Abdul Rouf; Stewart, Derek; Shetty, Ashalatha; Pande, Binita; Singh, Rajvir; McLay, James S

2015-01-01

To estimate the prevalence, indications, and associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use during the last trimester of pregnancy. A questionnaire survey was conducted of women with a live birth (N=700) admitted to the postnatal unit at the Royal Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, northeast Scotland. Outcome measures included: complementary and alternative medicine used; vitamins and minerals used; reasons for complementary and alternative medicine use; independent associated factors for use; views; and experiences. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was performed. The response rate was 79.6% of eligible women. Two thirds of respondents (61.4%) reported using complementary and alternative medicine, excluding vitamins and minerals, during the third trimester. Respondents reported using a total of 30 different complementary and alternative medicine modalities, of which oral herbal products were the most common (38% of respondents, 40 different products). The independent associated factors for complementary and alternative medicine use identified were: complementary and alternative medicine use before pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] 4.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.39-7.95, Palternative medicine use by family or friends (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.61-3.47, Palternative medicines were safer than prescribed medicines (P=.006), less likely to be associated with side effects (P≤.001), and could interfere with conventional medicines (P≤.001). Despite the majority of respondents, and notably users, being uncertain about their safety and effectiveness, complementary and alternative medicine modalities and complementary and alternative medicine products are widely used during the third trimester of pregnancy in this study population. Although prior use was the most significant independent associated factor, the role of family and friends, rather than health professionals, in the decision to use complementary and alternative medicine may be of concern

Medicine authentication technology as a counterfeit medicine-detection tool: a Delphi method study to establish expert opinion on manual medicine authentication technology in secondary care.

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Naughton, Bernard; Roberts, Lindsey; Dopson, Sue; Brindley, David; Chapman, Stephen

2017-05-06

This study aims to establish expert opinion and potential improvements for the Falsified Medicines Directive mandated medicines authentication technology. A two-round Delphi method study using an online questionnaire. Large National Health Service (NHS) foundation trust teaching hospital. Secondary care pharmacists and accredited checking technicians. Seven-point rating scale answers which reached a consensus of 70-80% with a standard deviation (SD) of <1.0. Likert scale questions which reached a consensus of 70-80%, a SD of <1.0 and classified as important according to study criteria. Consensus expert opinion has described database cross-checking technology as quick and user friendly and suggested the inclusion of an audio signal to further support the detection of counterfeit medicines in secondary care (70% consensus, 0.9 SD); other important consensus with a SD of <1.0 included reviewing the colour and information in warning pop up screens to ensure they were not mistaken for the 'already dispensed here' pop up, encouraging the dispenser/checker to act on the warnings and making it mandatory to complete an 'action taken' documentation process to improve the quarantine of potentially counterfeit, expired or recalled medicines. This paper informs key opinion leaders and decision makers as to the positives and negatives of medicines authentication technology from an operator's perspective and suggests the adjustments which may be required to improve operator compliance and the detection of counterfeit medicines in the secondary care sector. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

PREVALENCE AND AT EARLY AGE ONSET OF HYPO AND HYPERTHYROIDISM IN POST-IODIZATION ERA: A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY FROM SOUTH INDIA

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Fathima Nusrath, Baderuzzaman, Anees Syyeda , Siraj M, N Parveen , Ishaq M

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Thyroid dysfunction has been considered as one of the most common endocrine disorder in clinical practice throughout the world. Its increasing prevalence had led to the screening of general population in different parts of the world in order to investigate causes for rising incidence. A nationwide survey on epidemiology of thyroid dysfunction in selected cities of India suggested the need for further studies in order to have a more comprehensive analysis of epidemiological aspect for better awareness and control of this endocrine disorder. Aim: The major objective of the present study was to identify the prevalence and early age at onset of hypo and hyperthyroidism in post-iodization era based on a hospital based study. Materials and Methods: A total of 516 subjects visiting department of Medicine, Princess ESRA Hospital, Hyderabad, in age group of 10 to 75 years were included in the study from June 2013 to January 2014. Serum TSH, T3, and T4 assays were assessed by chemiluminescence method. Based on thyroid dysfunction test results, subjects were classified into Hypothyroidism, Subclinical Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism. Results: The prevalence of hypothyroidism was highest in the females 33.52 % (n=173 as compared to males 2.32% (n=12 and hyperthyroidism in females 4.06% (n=21 and 0.19% (n=1 in males. Subclinical hypothyroidism in females was 7.55% (n=39. Conclusions: An inordinately high increase in the prevalence rate in women was observed particularly in the age group 21-30years. Monitoring of thyroid profile is necessary to prevent adverse outcome at clinical and subclinical levels related to infertility, pregnancies and other complications.

Burnout and Physical Activity in Minnesota Internal Medicine Resident Physicians

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Olson, Shawn M.; Odo, Nnaemeka U.; Duran, Alisa M.; Pereira, Anne G.; Mandel, Jeffrey H.

2014-01-01

Background Regular physical activity plays an important role in the amelioration of several mental health disorders; however, its relationship with burnout has not yet been clarified. Objective To determine the association between achievement of national physical activity guidelines and burnout in internal medicine resident physicians. Methods A Web-based survey of internal medicine resident physicians at the University of Minnesota and Hennepin County Medical Center was conducted from September to October 2012. Survey measures included the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results Of 149 eligible residents, 76 (51.0%) completed surveys, which were used in the analysis. Burnout prevalence, determined by the Maslach Burnout Inventory, was 53.9% (41 of 76). Prevalence of failure to achieve US Department of Health and Human Services physical activity guidelines was 40.8% (31 of 76), and 78.9% (60 of 76) of residents reported that their level of physical activity has decreased since they began medical training. Residents who were able to meet physical activity guidelines were less likely to be burned out than their fellow residents (OR, 0.38, 95% CI 0.147–0.99). Conclusions Among internal medicine resident physicians, achievement of national physical activity guidelines appears to be inversely associated with burnout. Given the high national prevalence of burnout and inactivity, additional investigation of this relationship appears warranted. PMID:26140116

Reflections on research at the College of Medicine: Excellence ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

College of Medicine Silver Jubilee Special Issue ... the clarity of vision. This means that a certain humility in ... weeks and months) and the significance of the computer to compress ... birth on the future prevalence and incidence of tuberculosis.

Prevalence of malnutrition in Saudi children: A community-based study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Mouzan, Mohammed; Foster, Peter J.

2010-01-01

There is no published information on the prevalence of malnutrition in Saudi Arabia. The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence data.The prevalence of nutritional indicators in the form of underweight, stunting, and wasting in a national sample of children younger than 5 years of age was calculated using the new WHO standards as reference. Calculations were performed using the corresponding WHO software. The prevalence of moderate and severe underweight, wasting and stunting, was defined as the proportion of children whose weight for age, weight for height, and height for age were below -2 and -3 standard deviation scores, respectively.The number of children younger than 5 years of age was 15 516 and 50.5% were boys. The prevalence of moderate and severe underweight was 6.9% and 1.3%, respectively. The prevalence of moderate and severe wasting was 9.8% and 2.9%, respectively. Finally, the prevalence of moderate and severe stunting was 10.9% and 2.8%, respectively. The prevalence was lower in girls for all indicators. Comparison of the prevalence of nutritional indicators in selected countries demonstrates large disparity with an intermediate position for Saudi Arabia.This report establishes the national prevalence of malnutrition among Saudi children. Compared to data from other countries, these prevalence rates are still higher than other countries with less economic resources, indicating that more efforts are needed to improve the nutritional status of children (Author).

Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Associated With Job Contentment in Dental Professionals: Indian Outlook

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Gupta, Devanand; Bhaskar, Dara John; Gupta, Kumar Rajendra; Karim, Bushra; Kanwar, Alpana; Jain, Ankita; Yadav, Ankit; Saini, Priya; Arya, Satya; Sachdeva, Neha

2014-01-01

Background High prevalence rates of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) among dentists have been reported. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies can be helpful in managing and preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this study was to determine if dental professionals are using CAM for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Who have greater job satisfaction: dentist who uses Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) or conventional ther...

The prevalence and effectiveness of complementary and alternative medicine: what has been learned and what it may be telling us about our patients, ourselves, and conventional medical treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Moyad, M A

2001-11-01

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has been popular in numerous countries around the world. The fairly large range of prevalence may be partially due to different definitions of CAM from a variety of researchers, patients, and the general public. Beyond prevalence issues, few studies have specifically explored the reasons for the use of CAM. Studies that have attempted to answer this question have found that issues such as distress and quality of life issues are some partial reasons for its use. Despite the fact that few, if any, CAM therapies have prolonged survival, encouraging future research into potential benefits seems warranted because some CAM therapies have preliminary encouraging results, and overall, CAM therapies are just in need of more randomized trials. Perhaps, at this time, the central focus of studies should revolve around potential improvements in quality of life issues. Some therapies have been found to potentially improve this parameter. However, during the course of certain conventional medical treatments, many CAM therapies, such as dietary supplements, should be discouraged. These could theoretically reduce the oxidative stress caused by effective treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy, thus reducing their efficacy. Other basic lifestyle changes, such as simple dietary changes and exercise, should be encouraged during the course of treatment because of the potential benefits already demonstrated. In addition, these simple lifestyle changes may improve overall health, which is a serious issue for many patients. The prevalence of CAM should provide a challenge to health care professionals as a call to improve already existing services and communication between patients. Rather than perceiving CAM as a potential hindrance to proper conventional treatment, the reality could be that CAM is providing a unique opportunity and insight to health care professionals on how to make our current system that much better.

Medicinal plants used with Thai Traditional Medicine in modern healthcare services: a case study in Kabchoeng Hospital, Surin Province, Thailand.

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Chotchoungchatchai, Somtanuek; Saralamp, Promchit; Jenjittikul, Thaya; Pornsiripongse, Saowapa; Prathanturarug, Sompop

2012-05-07

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) is available in many modern hospitals in Thailand. However, there have been difficulties in integrating TTM, particularly the practices of the use of herbal medicines, into modern healthcare services. Kabchoeng Hospital is one hospital that has been able to overcome these difficulties. Thus, this study aimed to document the successful utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital. The documentation focused on both the knowledge of medicinal plants and the success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine in the context of a modern hospital in Thailand. Kabchoeng Hospital was intentionally selected for this case study. Participatory observation was used for the data collection. There were six groups of key informants: three applied Thai Traditional Medicine practitioners (ATTMPs), a pharmacist, two physicians, two folk healers, the head of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and 190 patients. The plant specimens were collected and identified based on the botanical literature and a comparison with authentic specimens; these identifications were assisted by microscopic and thin layer chromatography (TLC) techniques. Eighty-nine medicinal plants were used for the herbal preparations. The ATTMPs used these plants to prepare 29 standard herbal preparations and occasional extemporaneous preparations. Moreover, in this hospital, seven herbal preparations were purchased from herbal medicine manufacturers. In total, 36 preparations were used for 10 groups of symptoms, such as the treatment of respiratory system disorders, musculo-skeletal system disorders, and digestive system disorders. Four success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital were determined. These factors included a proper understanding of the uses of herbal medicines, the successful integration of the modern and TTM healthcare teams, the support of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and the

risk factors and sero-prevalence of hepatitis b surface antigen

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2014-02-01

Feb 1, 2014 ... Medicine, University of Ilorin, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria ... Results: High prevalence rate 10.9% was recorded. All the ... school graduate, tertiary school graduate and illiterate respectively with 36.8%, 23.7%,.

Evaluation of Herbal Medicines: Value Addition to Traditional Medicines Through Metabolism, Pharmacokinetic and Safety Studies.

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Thelingwani, Roslyn; Masimirembwa, Collen

2014-01-01

The safety and efficacy of herbal medicines remain major issues of concern especially in the developing world where the use is high. The World Health Organisation estimates up to 80% of the population in Africa relies on herbal medicines for treatment of many diseases. Minimum safety evaluations need to be done for both the herbal and conventional drugs, in particular when there is a high likelihood of co-administration. This is particularly important in Africa where there is increased access to antiretrovirals in the treatment of HIV/AIDS, which are being used in a population background characterized by rampant use of herbal medicines. Many techniques used in the discovery and evaluation of conventional drugs can be adapted to herbal medicines. Such evaluations will add value to herbal medicines as doctors and patients will be better informed on which drugs and herbal medicines to take or not take together. This can also lead to the adoption of guidelines by regulatory agents such as the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and governmental agencies controlling the use of medicines. Of current interest is the evaluation of drug-herb interactions (DHI) involving the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of medicines where there is a promising possibility to adopt the current FDA and EMA guidelines on the evaluation of herbal medicines for drug-drug interactions (DDI). In this review we demonstrate progress made so far in DHI and point to possible future developments that will contribute to the safe use of herbal medicines.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used in villages under ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Medicinal plants remain an integral part of the lives of people in rural areas. The aim of this study was to document information about the medicinal plants used by Shangaan people in villages under Jongilanga tribal council, Bushbuckridge municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Materials and ...

Atrial fibrillation and the 4P medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Censi, Federica; Cianfrocca, Cinzia; Purificato, Ivana

2013-01-01

Although the paradigm of the 4P medicine - Predictive, Personalized, Preemptive, and Participatory - has been suggested several years ago, its application to atrial fibrillation is still far away. Given the increasing prevalence and incidence of this pathology it is the time to promote preventive strategies, by identifying the risk factors associated to life style and by incentivizing innovative diagnostic technologies. The promotion of the correct life style and of the use of diagnostic devices based on innovative and reliable technologies, represent a first step towards the full realization of the revolution of 4P medicine in atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation and the 4P medicine

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Federica Censi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Although the paradigm of the 4P medicine - Predictive, Personalized, Preemptive, and Participatory - has been suggested several years ago, its application to atrial fibrillation is still far away. Given the increasing prevalence and incidence of this pathology it is the time to promote preventive strategies, by identifying the risk factors associated to life style and by incentivizing innovative diagnostic technologies. The promotion of the correct life style and of the use of diagnostic devices based on innovative and reliable technologies, represent a first step towards the full realization of the revolution of 4P medicine in atrial fibrillation.

A Study of Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Use And Birth ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

. While there is continued efforts to determine factors associated, there would be need to examine if birth order influences its prevalence. Aim: The present study was aimed to determine the prevalence of psychoactive substance use among ...

Benzoxazoles and oxazolopyridines in medicinal chemistry studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demmer, Charles S; Bunch, Lennart

2015-01-01

and the use of benzoxazole as a bioisostere are discussed. The review is extended to cover structure-activity relationship studies of 2-substituted benzoxazoles, 2-substituted oxazolopyridines, and in perspective, application of the recently published novel heterocycle oxazolopyrazine in medicinal chemistry...

SelfMED: Self-Administration of Medication in Hospital: A Prevalence Study in Flanders, Belgium.

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Vanwesemael, Toke; Van Rompaey, Bart; Petrovic, Mirko; Boussery, Koen; Dilles, Tinne

2017-05-01

Self-management is a key element in regaining and maintaining health. However, during hospitalization it becomes less obvious. Patient self-administration of medication during hospitalization is suggested to be beneficial to patient satisfaction, adherence to pharmacotherapy, and self-care competence. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of self-administration of medication during hospitalization, and possible contributing factors. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 12 Belgian hospitals from February 2015 until June 2015. Data were collected on all hospitalized patients at 57 wards, based in 12 hospitals. A structured questionnaire at ward level and patient level on medication management, self-administration of medication, and rationale for prohibiting or allowing patients to self-administer their medication was conducted in consultation with the head nurse. Of the 1,269 patients participating in this study, 22% self-administered at least one medicine during hospitalization and 13.8% self-administered at least 50% of their total amount of medication. In the opinion of the head nurse, 40.9% of the hospitalized patients would have been able to self-administer their medication during hospitalization. Only a few wards had an available procedure and screening tool to assess the competence of the patients to self-administer their medication. This did not affect the prevalence of self-administration. Self-administration occurred significantly more at surgical short-stay wards, compared to other wards. The self-administering patients were on average younger and female and had a lower number of different medications per day before and during hospitalization. These patients had a good health status and were independent to mildly dependent on nurses on the ward. Related factors were used to provide a multivariate logistic regression model. Sometimes self-administration of medication was allowed. According to the surveyed nurses, however, more

Sibutramine usage in New Zealand: an analysis of prescription data by the Intensive Medicines Monitoring Programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Geraldine R; Ashton, Janelle; Harrison-Woolrych, Mira

2007-11-01

To describe patterns of sibutramine usage in New Zealand during the first 3 years of marketing using data acquired during post-marketing safety surveillance. Demographic and prescription data were examined from a nationwide cohort of 17 298 patients prescribed sibutramine between 1 February 2001 and 31 March 2004. Outcome measures were age and sex distribution of the cohort; period prevalence of sibutramine usage for each ethnic group; duration of treatment and reasons for cessation of therapy. Limited BMI data were also examined. About 0.5% of the NZ population were prescribed sibutramine in the period studied. Overwhelmingly, the highest users of sibutramine were NZ European women aged 30-59 years. Maori and Pacific Peoples were under-represented in the cohort, despite the higher prevalence of obesity among these populations. Sibutramine usage was predominantly short-term: 59% of the cohort used sibutramine for 90 days or less, half of whom used it for only 1 month. There has been extensive use of sibutramine in New Zealand. Sibutramine has been relatively under-utilised by Maori and Pacific ethnic groups, compared to New Zealand Europeans, despite their higher prevalence of obesity. A number of factors may have contributed to the predominantly short-term use of this medicine, including the cost of the medicine to the consumer, weight loss not meeting expectations and adverse effects of the medicine.

Detraditionalisation, gender and alternative and complementary medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Sointu, Eeva

2011-03-01

This article is premised on the importance of locating the appeal and meaning of alternative and complementary medicines in the context of gendered identities. I argue that the discourse of wellbeing--captured in many alternative and complementary health practices--is congruent with culturally prevalent ideals of self-fulfilling, authentic, unique and self-responsible subjectivity. The discourse of wellbeing places the self at the centre, thus providing a contrast with traditional ideas of other-directed and caring femininity. As such, involvement in alternative and complementary medicines is entwined with a negotiation of shifting femininities in detraditionalising societies. Simultaneously, many alternative and complementary health practices readily tap into and reproduce traditional representations of caring femininity. It is through an emphasis on emotional honesty and intimacy that the discourse of wellbeing also captures a challenge to traditional ideas of masculinity. Expectations and experiences relating to gender add a further level of complexity to the meaningfulness and therapeutic value of alternative and complementary medicines and underlie the gender difference in the utilisation of holistic health practices. I draw on data from a qualitative study with 44, primarily white, middle-class users and practitioners of varied alternative and complementary medicines in the UK. © 2010 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2010 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Number of patients studied prior to approval of new medicines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Duijnhoven, Ruben G; Straus, Sabine M J M; Raine, June M

2013-01-01

length of time), whereas 67 (79.8%) of the medicines met the criteria for 12-mo patient exposure (at least 100 participants studied for 12 mo). CONCLUSIONS: For medicines intended for chronic use, the number of patients studied before marketing is insufficient to evaluate safety and long-term efficacy....... Both safety and efficacy require continued study after approval. New epidemiologic tools and legislative actions necessitate a review of the requirements for the number of patients studied prior to approval, particularly for chronic use, and adequate use of post-marketing studies. Please see later...

Prevalence and predictors of traditional medicine utilization among persons living with AIDS (PLWA) on antiretroviral (ARV) and prophylaxis treatment in both rural and urban areas in South Africa.

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Hughes, G D; Puoane, T R; Clark, B L; Wondwossen, T L; Johnson, Q; Folk, W

2012-01-01

Previous studies have reported that majority of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment-naïve patients use traditional medicine (TM). Given that TM use is ubiquitous in South Africa especially for chronic conditions, there is a potential for ARV non-adherence and serious drug interactions among patients with HIV/AIDs who use TM. The motivating factors for TM use in HIV/AIDS patients on ARV and prophylaxis treatment have not been well defined in South Africa. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, facilitators, predictors, and types of TM used among persons living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral treatment. The study was a cross-sectional survey which involved 100 participants enrolled at ARV clinics in two South African provinces. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed to assess the relationships between variables and potential predictors of TM. Sixteen percent of participants on ARV reported TM use. Seventy-nine percent used TM prior to a diagnosis of HIV. Participants were more likely to use TM if they were from a rural province, female, older, unmarried, employed, had limited education, or were HIV-positive for less than five years. TM users reported utilizing herbal or medicinal mixtures that were claimed to heal all conditions. This study provides insights into the treatment modalities selected by patients with HIV/AIDS in South Africa who are receiving ARV. This study revealed that less than 20% of participants co-used TM and ARV. However, close to 80% of participants utilize TM before contracting HIV, which is in keeping with approximate estimates by the WHO.

Studying use and risks of medicines in children: a European approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

S. de Bie (Sandra)

2013-01-01

textabstractIn recent years there has been increasing awareness on the gap in knowledge on the safety and efficacy of medicines used in children. The work as described in this thesis is based on large observational studies across Europe and aimed to study the use and risks of medicines in children

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haidan Yuan

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery. The unique characteristics of theory, application, current role or status, and modern research of eight kinds of traditional medicine systems are summarized in this study. Although only a tiny fraction of the existing plant species have been scientifically researched for bioactivities since 1805, when the first pharmacologically-active compound morphine was isolated from opium, natural products and traditional medicines have already made fruitful contributions for modern medicine. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities.

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products.

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Yuan, Haidan; Ma, Qianqian; Ye, Li; Piao, Guangchun

2016-04-29

Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery. The unique characteristics of theory, application, current role or status, and modern research of eight kinds of traditional medicine systems are summarized in this study. Although only a tiny fraction of the existing plant species have been scientifically researched for bioactivities since 1805, when the first pharmacologically-active compound morphine was isolated from opium, natural products and traditional medicines have already made fruitful contributions for modern medicine. When used to develop new drugs, natural products and traditional medicines have their incomparable advantages, such as abundant clinical experiences, and their unique diversity of chemical structures and biological activities.

Prevalence of silent breast cancer in autopsy specimens, as studied by the disease being held by image-guided biopsies: The pilot study and literature review

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Sidiropoulou, Zacharoula; Vasconcelos, Ana Paula; Couceiro, Cristiana; Dos Santos, Carlos; Araújo, Ana Virginia; Alegre, Inês; Santos, Claudia; Costa, Filipa; Henriques, Vanessa; Neves, Carlos; Cardoso, Fátima; Gascon, Pere

2017-01-01

Breast cancer epidemiological patterns vary in European countries, which present different incidence rates. Data have suggested that the reduction in breast cancer mortality is not only due to the early detection of the disease, but is, in almost equal part, due to screening and to the advances that have been made in molecular medicine and the development of novel therapies. The aim of the present study is to quantify the actual number of cases of breast cancer present in both of the sexes by calculating the prevalence of silent breast cancer in corpses. To achieve this quantification, bilateral subcutaneous radical mastectomies are performed in corpses of either sex above 40 years of age that lacked any clinical manifestation of the disease, and where the breast cancer or its complications was not the cause of death. Only five publications exist in the international literature based on medico-legal autopsies that were designed to define the ‘natural reservoir’ of the disease. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first one to appraise breast tissue via imaging by means of orienting the biopsy incision. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the design of the present study is the first of its type, where image-guided biopsies are used to define the prevalence of silent breast cancer. The study aims to demonstrate that the ‘disease reservoir’ is, in reality, higher than was originally considered to be so. Furthermore, the study aims to contribute towards an improved definition of the disease by determining which tumour profiles potentially do not benefit from aggressive treatments (for example, in case where a high prevalence of low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ is to be detected). According to our pilot study, this analysis represents a feasible protocol. PMID:28781784

Risk factors and disease prevalence in 3331 personal check-ups performed in preventive medicine between 2006 and 2011. cross-sectional and follow-up study.

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Keipes, M; Bellucci, A; Hansen, E

2012-01-01

The present data results from a retrospective analysis of 3331 check-ups made in the preventive medicine department of the "ZithaKlinik", named "ZithaGesondheetsZentrum". These check-ups are done for the employee's of several firm's and institutions. According to gender and age, several tests and examinations are performed and the results are given to the person's general practitioner or another doctor of his choice. We will present a global synthesis of all the results but also a follow-up study of persons having performed 2 check-ups or more over a 5-year period. In the cross-sectional part, the analysis is done on 3331 individual check-ups (1447 woman, 1884 men). The average age is 50.3 years +/- 11.4. In the follow-up study, 478 persons (191 women, 287 men) had at least 2 (maximum 5) check-ups in the 5-year period of our observation. Initial age was 54.1 +/- 10.9 years for woman and 51.4 +/- 11.4 for men, respectively 56.4 +/- 10.9 and 53.7+/- 11.2 at their last check-up. An alarming number of persons present with a weight or obesity problem (according to age ranging from 22.0% overweight and 7.3% obese from 18-29 years, respectively 37.5% and 11.3% from 30-49 years, finally 44.0% and 20.6% in the range 50-69 years). Associated risk factors and pathologies (Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, NASH, diabetes type 2 and complete metabolic syndromes) are extremely frequent and getting more so with growing age. Furthermore, physical activity is insufficient in grossly 2/3 of the studied population. The only positive point is a tendency of decreasing tobacco use in all age groups. The follow-up study is frustrating because most of the examined criteria get worse in-between check-ups instead of getting better with changes in lifestyle in an informed population. Asymptomatic diseases or risk factors for non-communicable diseases are extremely frequent in the population examined. The follow-up data shows that huge parts of this group are not sufficiently conscientious of their

Sparking Thinking: Studying Modern Precision Medicine Will Accelerate the Progression of Traditional Chinese Medicine Patterns.

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Liu, Bao-Cheng; Ji, Guang

2017-07-01

Incorporating "-omics" studies with environmental interactions could help elucidate the biological mechanisms responsible for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) patterns. Based on the authors' own experiences, this review outlines a model of an ideal combination of "-omics" biomarkers, environmental factors, and TCM pattern classifications; provides a narrative review of the relevant genetic and TCM studies; and lists several successful integrative examples. Two integration tools are briefly introduced. The first is the integration of modern devices into objective diagnostic methods of TCM patterning, which would improve current clinical decision-making and practice. The second is the use of biobanks and data platforms, which could broadly support biological and medical research. Such efforts will transform current medical management and accelerate the progression of precision medicine.

A study on the indigenous medicinal plants and healing practices in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A study on the indigenous medicinal plants and healing practices in Chittagong Hill tracts (Bangladesh) ... and folk cultural practices as community-based extension and dissemination media to highlight the importance of medicinal plants and ...

Stress and medicine use for headache: does sense of coherence modify the association?

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Koushede, Vibeke; Holstein, Bjørn E; Andersen, Anette; Hansen, Ebba Holme

2011-10-01

Medicine use as a strategy for coping with daily stressors is an under-studied issue. Studies show that stress is associated with use of over-the-counter medicine, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine whether sense of coherence (SOC) modifies the association between perceived stress and medicine use for headache. National cross-sectional study in Denmark. men and women aged 25-44 years, n = 990. The survey was conducted by web-based questionnaires and telephone interviews. The outcome measure was medicine use for headache. The independent variable was perceived stress. SOC and gender were investigated as moderators. Social class, headache prevalence and severity, and response method were included as co-variates. Our study showed that SOC modified the association between stress and medicine use for headache (only statistically significant among women). The odds for medicine use among women who felt stressed were 2.30 (1.39-3.79) compared to women who did not feel stressed; among men who felt stressed the equivalent odds were 1.46 (0.80-2.66). In analysis stratified by SOC, the odds for medicine use when stressed were 2.09 (0.71-6.21) among women with high SOC, 2.21 (1.10-4.41) among women with medium SOC and 3.69 (1.09-12.47) among women with low SOC. The equivalent odds for men were 1.29 (0.33-5.04), 1.33 (0.59-3.04) and 2.47 (0.57-10.64), respectively. SOC modifies the association between stress and medicine use especially among women. Individuals with fewer coping resources may be more likely to use medicine beyond indication to treat stress.

Prevalence and risk factors of hypertension for the middle-aged population in China - results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS).

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Li, Zhen; Fu, Chang; Yang, Fan; Mao, Zongfu

2018-03-19

The prevalence of hypertension in middle-aged people is increasing. However, few studies have examined the risk factors of hypertension among the middle-aged population. The aim of this study is to present the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors for the middle-aged population in China. The data were from the third-wave national survey (2015) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). A total of 7,178 respondents aged 45-59 years were included in this study. Hypertension was defined as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 90 mmHg or currently taking antihypertensive medicines. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the risk factors of hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was 29.12% (95%CI = 28.07-30.17). Hypertension was more prevalent among men than women (31.63% vs. 27.03%). Older age, higher BMI, chronic diseases, and poor health status were independently associated with hypertension in both genders (p < 0.05). Among women, college education (OR = 0.302, 95%CI = 0.152-0.598), marriage or cohabitation (OR = 0.756, 95%CI = 0.584-0.98), and drinking more than once a month (OR = 0.645, 95% = 0.498-0.836) led to a decreased likelihood of hypertension. Individuals with larger waist circumference were more likely to have hypertension (OR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.294-1.906). Our results indicate that hypertension is highly prevalent in the middle-aged population in China. Men are more likely to have hypertension than women. Older age, higher BMI, chronic diseases and poor self-rated health are risk factors for hypertension in both genders. Large waist circumference, singleness, low educational level, and non-drinking are risk factors of hypertension among women but not among men.

Personalized medicine: a confluence of traditional and contemporary medicine.

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Jafari, Samineh; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Saeidnia, Soodabeh

2014-01-01

Traditional systems of medicine have attained great popularity among patients in recent years. Success of this system in the treatment of disease warrants consideration, particularly in cases for which conventional medicine has been insufficient. This study investigates the similarities in principles and approaches of 3 traditional systems and explores whether conventional medicine is able to exploit the advantages of traditional systems. This study first identifies and explores the advantages of 3 well-known systems-traditional Iranian medicine (TIM), ayurveda, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-that are similar in their basic principles and methods. Second, it clarifies whether and how conventional medicine could exploit the advantages of traditional systems as it modernizes, to become more personalized. Finally, this study investigates the possibility that conventional medicine could benefit from traditional typology to improve its personalization. The acknowledgment of the unity of humans and nature, applying rational methods, and personalized approaches is fundamentally similar in the 3 systems. Additionally, they all promote the holistic view that health is harmony and disease is disharmony of the body. Other similarities include their recognition of the unique nature of every person and their categorization of people into different body types. Although conventional medicine has mostly failed to incorporate the advantages of traditional medicine, its integration with traditional medicine is achievable. For instance, exploiting traditional typologies in genomic and other studies may facilitate personalization of conventional medicine. From its review, the research team concludes that prospects are bright for the integration of traditional and conventional medicines and, consequently, for a dramatic improvement in health systems.

The usage of complementary and alternative medicine in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased over the last few years, and an emergent data suggests that some CAM modalities may be helpful in addressing gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Our aimwas to find out the prevalence ofsuch practices for GI condition amongst patients ...

Prevalence of bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment among trainees and Fellows of the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand.

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Venkatesh, Bala; Corke, Charlie; Raper, Raymond; Pinder, Mary; Stephens, Dianne; Joynt, Gavin; Morley, Peter; Bellomo, Rinaldo; Bevan, Rob; Freebairn, Ross; Varghese, Benoj; Ashbolt, Michael; Hawker, Felicity; Jacobe, Stephen; Yong, Sarah

2016-12-01

Anecdotal reports about bullying behaviour in intensive care emerged during College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) hospital accreditation visits. Bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment (BDSH) in the medical profession, particularly in surgery, were widely reported in the media recently. This prompted the College to formally survey its Fellows and trainees to identify the prevalence of these behaviours in the intensive care workplace. An online survey of all trainees (n = 951) and Fellows (n = 970) of the CICM. The survey response rate was 51% (Fellows, 60%; trainees, 41%). The overall prevalences of bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment were 32%, 12% and 3%, respectively. The proportions of Fellows and trainees who reported being bullied and discriminated against were similar across all age groups. Women reported a greater prevalence of sexual harassment (odds ratio [OR], 2.97 [95% CI, 1.35-6.51]; P = 0.006) and discrimination (OR, 2.10 [95% CI, 1.39-3.17]; P = 0.0004) than men. Respondents who obtained their primary medical qualification in Asia or Africa appeared to have been at increased risk of discrimination (OR, 1.88 [95% CI, 1.15-3.05]; P = 0.03). Respondents who obtained their degree in Australia, New Zealand or Hong Kong may have been at increased risk of being bullied. In all three domains of unprofessional behaviour, the perpetrators were predominantly consultants (70% overall), and the highest proportion of these was ICU consultants. The occurrence of BDSH appears to be common in the intensive care environment in Australia and New Zealand.

Traditional knowledge on medicinal plant of the Karen in northern Thailand: a comparative study.

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Tangjitman, Kornkanok; Wongsawad, Chalobol; Winijchaiyanan, Piyawan; Sukkho, Treetip; Kamwong, Kaweesin; Pongamornkul, Wittaya; Trisonthi, Chusie

2013-10-28

We studied traditional medicinal plant knowledge among the Karen in northern Thailand. To compare traditional medicinal knowledge in 14 Karen villages in northern Thailand and determine culturally important medicinal plant species in each Karen village. We interviewed 14 key informants and 438 non-specialist informants about their traditional knowledge of medicinal plants. We tested normality of the data and correlations with distance to the nearest city using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Cluster analysis and cultural importance index (CI) were calculated for the similarity of medicinal plant used and culturally importance medicinal plant species among Karen villages respectively. In total 379 medicinal plant species were used. Number of medicinal plants used positively correlate with distance to the nearest city. Relatively low similarities of medicinal plant species and different CI values for species among the different areas were found. Traditional medicinal plants still play an important role in medicinal practice of the Karen. Local environments, availability of medicinal plant and distance between Karen villages and the nearest city affect the amount of traditional medicinal knowledge in each Karen village. The medicinal plants in this study with high CI values might give some useful leads for further biomedical research. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students.

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Ibrahim, Ahmed K; Kelly, Shona J; Adams, Clive E; Glazebrook, Cris

2013-03-01

Depression is a common health problem, ranking third after cardiac and respiratory diseases as a major cause of disability. There is evidence to suggest that university students are at higher risk of depression, despite being a socially advantaged population, but the reported rates have shown wide variability across settings. To explore the prevalence of depression in university students. PubMed, PsycINFO, BioMed Central and Medline were searched to identify studies published between 1990 and 2010 reporting on depression prevalence among university students. Searches used a combination of the terms depression, depressive symptoms, depressive disorders, prevalence, university students, college students, undergraduate students, adolescents and/or young adults. Studies were evaluated with a quality rating. Twenty-four articles were identified that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Reported prevalence rates ranged from 10% to 85% with a weighted mean prevalence of 30.6%. The results suggest that university students experience rates of depression that are substantially higher than those found in the general population. Study quality has not improved since 1990. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Recognised and Unrecognised Depression among Medical and Surgical Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, A. S.; Jamal, Q.; Riaz, M.

2015-01-01

Objective: To observe the prevalence of recognised and unrecognised depression among in-patients. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2012 to May 2013 at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, and comprised patients admitted in the Medicine and Surgical departments at the time. Patients with known history of depression or on anti-depressants or on anti-psychotics, or with suicidal attempt were excluded. The prevalence of unrecognised depression was then perceived using Patient Health Qurstionnaire-9. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20. Results: Of the 1180 patients, 432(36.6 percent) either had history of depression or on were on anti-depressants. The study sample, as such, comprised 748(65 percent), and of them 399(53 percent) were from the Medicine and 349(47 percent) patients were from Surgery department. Prevalence of recognised depression was 36.6 percent; 48 percent in Medical and 14 percent in Surgical patients. Unrecognised depression was 51.2 percent; 45.3 percent in Medical and 53.6 in Surgical patients. Overall prevalence was 87.9 percent; 93.4 percent in Medical and 53 percent in Surgical patients. Gender was not found to be significantly associated with depression in Medical (p= 0.367) and Surgical (p=0.606) patients. No depression was found in 48(12 percent) Medical patients and 131(37.5 percent) Surgical patients. Conclusion: More than one-third of in-patients had co-morbid depression diagnoses, mostly unrecognised by their clinicians. (author)

Analysis of over-the-counter medicines use among nursing students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mlinar Suzana

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background/Aim. The use of over-the-counter (OTC medication is widespread among the adult and student populations in Slovenia. The aim of the study was to analyse the prevalence of OTC medicines use among nursing students with respect to sociodemographic characteristics. Methods. A total of 241 nursing students in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ljubljana, were included in the cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was created for the purposes of the study. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS 20. Descriptive statistics, t-test and the contingency coefficient were calculated. Statistical significance was set at the p-value of < 0.05. Results. The study showed that the use of prescription drugs was significantly higher in women (p = 0.029, students living in rural areas (p = 0.005 and students who described themselves as being of bad health (p = 0.008. At the same time, a third of the respondents had been taking one OTC medicine within the last month; those taking several prescription drugs commonly administered several over-the-counter medicines (p = 0.027. Women used OTC medicines to treat pain and fever (p = 0.001, respiratory issues (p = 0.015, and fungal infections (p < 0.000 more often than men. OTC medicines were also used to treat minor mental health issues by a higher proportion of respondents over 21 years of age (p = 0.005 and women (p < 0.000, while over-the-counter medicines for treating skin conditions were more frequently used in rural areas (p = 0.006. Conclusion. Nursing students tend to use OTC medicines on their own accord, receiving instructions for safe use with their purchase, which points to adequate promotion of safe use of medications in Slovenia. Men's assessment of their personal health tends to be better than that of women, who also use medication more frequently. A connection between poor health and a higher incidence of the use of OTC medicines was established. The use of OTC medicines to treat minor mental

[Prevalence of burnout syndrome in nurses in 2 Mexican hospitals].

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Palmer-Morales, Yusvisaret; Prince-Vélez, Roberto; Searcy-Bernal, Roberto; Compean-Saucedo, Bertha

2007-01-01

To determine the prevalence of burnout syndrome in nursing staff in 2 different second level hospitals in the city of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. A cross-sectional study was conducted in all nursing staff (n = 698) in 2 second level hospitals (the Gynecology, Pediatrics and Family Medicine Hospital No. 31 and the General Specialist Hospital No. 30 in Mexicali). A stratified random sample was obtained from the 698 nurses, with a sample size of 184 nurses from each hospital. The Maslach Burn-out Inventory and a general questionnaire on demographic factors were used. Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive statistics and analysis of proportions using the chi-squared test. A total of 368 nurses were studied, of whom 345 (93.75%) were women. The mean age was 41.21 SD (standard deviation) = 6.59 years. The mean length of service was 15.87 (SD = 6.12) years. In both hospitals, the prevalence of burnout syndrome was 6.79% (25). Previous publications on burn-out have included studies performed in Mexico and in nurses in the emergency department of a tertiary hospital in Barcelona, as well as in other health care professionals. In comparison with these studies, the prevalence of burn-out observed in the present study was significantly lower.

Animal-Based Remedies as Complementary Medicines in the Semi-Arid Region of Northeastern Brazil

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Alves, Rômulo R. N.; Barbosa, José A. A.; Santos, Silene L. D. X.; Souto, Wedson M. S.; Barboza, Raynner R. D.

2011-01-01

Animals (and their derived products) are essential ingredients in the preparation of many traditional remedies. Despite its prevalence in traditional medical practices worldwide, research on medicinal animals has often been neglected in comparison to medicinal plant research. This work documents the medicinal animals used by a rural community in the semi-arid region, inserted in Caatinga Biome, where 66 respondents provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. We calculated the informant consensus factor to determine the consensus over which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species use value to determine the extent of utilization of each species. We recorded the use of 51 animal species as medicines, whose products were recommended for the treatment of 68 illnesses. The informant consensus in the use of many specific remedies is fairly high, giving an additional validity to this folk medicine. Eight species not previously reported as having medicinal use were recorded. The local medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Given a high proportion of medicinal animals observed in the study area, it is logical to conclude that any conservation strategy should include access to modern health care. PMID:19729490

Effect of herb drug medicine Treatment for Functional Dyspepsia:Controlled Trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Jae-Jin

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Obejective : Functional dyspepsia is a prevalent disease. It impedes subjective quality of life. The purpose of this research is to examine the equivalent effect of herb drug medicine treatment(H-Dand Over the Counter(OTC for functional dyspepsia. Method : In this controlled study, we compared herb drug medicine(H-D with Over the Counter(OTC of functional dyspepsia. 30 volunteers who satisfied the requirements were enrolled in study. Severity of dyspepsia was measured by Nepean Dyspepsia Index(NDI-K before and after treatments. Result : The results are summarized as follows. 1. In Herb drug medicine and Over the Counter groups, total key symptoms score of after treatment were significantly decreased and improve rate of key symptoms was higher than before treatment, but there were no statistical significance between two groups. 2. In Herb drug medicine and Over the Counter groups, each symptoms score of after treatment were significantly decreased and improve rate of key symptoms was higher than before treatment, but there were no statistical significance between two groups. 3. In Herb drug medicine and Over the Counter groups, quality of life score of after treatment were significantly decreased and improve rate of key symptoms was higher than before treatment, but there were no statistical significance between two groups. Conclusion : Herb drug medicine treatment(H-D is effective to improve the symptoms and quality of life in patients with functional dyspepsia.

The Australian Defence Force Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study: design and methods.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hooff, M.V.; McFarlane, A.C.; Davies, C.E.; Searle, A.K.; Fairweather-Schmidt, A.K.; Verhagen, A.F.; Benassi, H.; Hodson, S.E.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Australian Defence Force (ADF) Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study (MHPWS) is the first study of mental disorder prevalence in an entire military population. OBJECTIVE: The MHPWS aims to establish mental disorder prevalence, refine current ADF mental health screening

Herbal medicine use among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Nigeria: understanding the magnitude and predictors of use.

Science.gov (United States)

Amaeze, Ogochukwu Ukamaka; Aderemi-Williams, Roseline Iberi; Ayo-Vaughan, Modupeola Anuoluwapo; Ogundemuren, Deborah Aderoju; Ogunmola, Damilola Segun; Anyika, Emmanuel Nwanolue

2018-06-01

Background Patients with chronic diseases exploit complementary and alternative treatment options to manage their conditions better and improve well-being. Objective To determine the prevalence and predictors of herbal medicine use among Type 2 Diabetes patients in Lagos, Nigeria. Setting Secondary healthcare facilities in Lagos state, Nigeria. Method The study design was a cross sectional survey. A two-stage sampling approach was used to select the health facilities and patients were recruited consecutively to attain the sample size. Data was collected using a structured and standardized interviewer-administered questionnaire. Characteristics, prevalence and predictors of herbal medicine use were assessed using descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses. Main outcome measure Herbal medicine use among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Results 453 patients were surveyed, 305 (67.3%) reported herbal medicine use, among whom 108 (35.4%) used herbal and conventional medicines concurrently; 206 (67.5%) did not disclose use to their physician. Herbal medicine use was significantly associated with age (p = 0.045), educational level (p = 0.044), occupation (p = 0.013), duration of diabetes disease (p = 0.007), mode of diabetes management (p = 0.02), a positive history of diabetes (p = 0.011) and presence of diabetes complication (p = 0.033). Formulations or whole herbs of Vernonia amygdalina, Moringa oleifera, Ocimum gratissimum, Picralima nitida, and herbal mixtures were the commonest herbal medicine. Beliefs and perceptions about herbal medicine varied between the users and non-users. Conclusion The use of herbal medicine among Type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Lagos, Nigeria is high. There is dire need for health care practitioners to frequently probe patients for herbal medicine use and be aware of their health behaviour and choices, with a view to manage the disease better.

Attitude toward learning of community medicine: A cross-sectional study among medical school students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Japhereena Murugavel

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Community medicine strives to protect and promote the health and well-being of the community through primary health care approach. However the preference of community medicine as career among medical school students and curriculum of community medicine is pivotal. Aim: The study intended to find the attitude towards learning of community medicine and also to assess the preference of post graduation specialty among medical school students. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study conducted at a teaching hospital located in Tamil Nadu, South India. The study questionnaire was administered to a total of 500 study participants and the data collected were analyzed using SPSS IBM version 21.0. Results: Almost 97% were of the opinion that community medicine subject is mandatory. Eighty three percent were interested in learning the principles. Only 21.8% students wanted to pursue post graduation in community medicine. Lack of attraction in terms of scientific technical interest, workplace conditions, and research potential has been reported for being not interested. Conclusion: Majority enjoyed to learn principles of community medicine at undergraduate curriculum but only few preferred to opt community medicine as post graduate specialty. Therefore there is a room to influence the medical students positively towards learning community medicine in curriculum.

Bullying prevalence across contexts: a meta-analysis measuring cyber and traditional bullying.

Science.gov (United States)

Modecki, Kathryn L; Minchin, Jeannie; Harbaugh, Allen G; Guerra, Nancy G; Runions, Kevin C

2014-11-01

Bullying involvement in any form can have lasting physical and emotional consequences for adolescents. For programs and policies to best safeguard youth, it is important to understand prevalence of bullying across cyber and traditional contexts. We conducted a thorough review of the literature and identified 80 studies that reported corresponding prevalence rates for cyber and traditional bullying and/or aggression in adolescents. Weighted mean effect sizes were calculated, and measurement features were entered as moderators to explain variation in prevalence rates and in traditional-cyber correlations within the sample of studies. Prevalence rates for cyber bullying were lower than for traditional bullying, and cyber and traditional bullying were highly correlated. A number of measurement features moderated variability in bullying prevalence; whereas a focus on traditional relational aggression increased correlations between cyber and traditional aggressions. In our meta-analytic review, traditional bullying was twice as common as cyber bullying. Cyber and traditional bullying were also highly correlated, suggesting that polyaggression involvement should be a primary target for interventions and policy. Results of moderation analyses highlight the need for greater consensus in measurement approaches for both cyber and traditional bullying. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use in Accra, Ghana: an inductive exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Aziato, Lydia; Antwi, Hannah Ohemeng

2016-05-26

The use of complementary and alternative medicine including herbal medicine is increasing in many countries including Ghana. However, there is paucity of research on the perspectives of patrons of herbal medicine regarding the facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine use. This study sought to investigate the facilitators and barriers of herbal medicine among Ghanaian adults who use one form of herbal medicine or the other. The study employed an inductive exploratory qualitative approach. It was conducted at a private herbal clinic in Accra. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 16 participants. Data collection was through individual face-to-face interviews and these were transcribed and analysed using content analysis procedures. It was realized that the factors that enhanced the use of herbal medicine included use of convincing information to enhance the initiation of herbal medicine use, effectiveness of herbal medicine, personal preference for herbal medicine, perceived ineffectiveness of western medicine and integration of spirituality in herbal medicine. The factors that hindered herbal medicine use included negative perceptions and attitudes about herbal medicine, poor vending environment, poor knowledge of vendors, high cost of herbal products at credible herbal clinics and inconsistent effectiveness of some herbal products. Participants desired that the national health insurance scheme will cover the cost of herbal medicine to alleviate the financial burden associated with herbal medicine use. Although some Ghanaians patronize herbal medicine, the negative perceptions about herbal medicine resulting from deceitful producers and vendors call for enhanced education and monitoring to ensure that effective herbal products are used.

The Brazilian medicinal chemistry from 1998 to 2008 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters and European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry [A química medicinal brasileira de 1998 a 2008 nos periódicos Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters e European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry

OpenAIRE

Bárbara Vasconcellos da Silva; Renato Saldanha Bastos; Angelo da Cunha Pinto

2009-01-01

In this article we present the Brazilian publications, the research groups involved, the contributions per states and the main diseases studied from 1998 to 2008 in the following periodicals: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters and European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.

Economic evaluation studies in reproductive medicine: a systematic review of methodologic quality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moolenaar, Lobke M.; Vijgen, Sylvia M. C.; Hompes, Peter; van der Veen, Fulco; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Opmeer, Brent C.

2013-01-01

To evaluate the methodologic quality of economic analyses published in the field of reproductive medicine. Systematic review. Centers for reproductive care. Infertility patients. We performed a Medline search to identify economic evaluation studies in reproductive medicine. We included studies that

Prevalence of Hypothyroidism and Its Association with Diabetes Mellitus in Patients of an Ambulatory Clinic.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernal, Mariela; Escobar, Eddy; Rodríguez González, Carmen E

2016-01-01

Hypothyroidism is the most common thyroid disorder in the adult population. Studies have found a higher prevalence of overt hypothyroidism in type 2 diabetic population than in the general population, but the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus 2 is still controversial. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence rate of hypothyroidism in the adult population receiving services in an ambulatory clinic and to determine if there is an association between hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. From the database of all adult patients who attended the outpatient clinic at Family Medicine Center Policlínica Bella Vista in Mayagüez, P.R. during 2014, a random sample of 200 subjects was obtained and the medical records were reviewed. The prevalence rate of diabetes mellitus in this group was 22% and the prevalence rate of hypothyroidism was 17%. The prevalence rate of hypothyroidism in diabetic patients was 10/44 (22.7%). The prevalence rate of hypothyroidism in non-diabetic patients was 24/156 (15.4%). The prevalence ratio was 1.48 (95% CI: 0.77, 2.85; X2 = 1.31, p = 0.25). The results of this cross-sectional study showed a non-statistically significant tendency for a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism in diabetic patients, which suggest that screening for hypothyroidism among patients with diabetes should be considered. More studies with more patients are necessary to investigate the association between thyroid dysfunction and diabetic patients.

The use of medicinal plants in self-care in the Agonlin region of Benin.

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Allabi, Aurel Constant; Busia, Kofi; Ekanmian, Vital; Bakiono, Fidèle

2011-01-07

To investigate the extent and type of medicinal plants used in self-care by the inhabitants of the Agonlin community in the Republic of Benin. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview a total of one thousand mothers. The prevalence rate of the use of herbal medicines in self-care was found to be 51.04%. One hundred and fourteen (114) plant species belonging to 69 families were reported, each with their local names, medicinal use, and parts used. Of all the indications of the identified plants, fever, headache, abdominal pain, and vomiting were the most frequently reported, with malaria treatment recording the highest usage of plant remedies (22%). The plant part most frequently used was the leaves. This study showed that self-care using medicinal plants is a major part of health care in the Agonlin area. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of Dental Anomalies in Odisha Population: A Panoramic Radiographic Study.

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Goutham, Balasubramanya; Bhuyan, Lipsa; Chinnannavar, Sangamesh N; Kundu, Madhurima; Jha, Kunal; Behura, Shyam S

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental anomalies (DAs) in Odisha population using panoramic radiographs. In this study, 1,080 panoramic radiographs were evaluated for DAs. Dental records were reviewed for diagnostic confirmation. Anomalies related to the shape, size, position of teeth, and number of roots (supernumerary roots) were evaluated. The study results showed the prevalence of DAs to be 35.27%. The most prevalent was dilaceration, which was seen in 46.71% cases followed by peg laterals in 20.99%. Dental anomalies were present in more than one-third of the study group, which was mostly related to shape of the teeth. Early diagnosis of these DAs helps in avoiding complications. Identification of DAs requires proper examination and thereby subsequent correct diagnosis. These anomalies can pose complications in normal functioning of orofacial complex. The knowledge of the prevalence of such anomalies aids dental practitioners for a proper treatment plan.

The Transmission of Chinese Medicine in Australia

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Mary Garvey

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper explores some of the issues concerning the transmission of Chinese medicine in Australia, its practitioner training and the future of Chinese medicine as a distinct medical discipline in the Australian context. In China over the last century Chinese medicine was overhauled in order to align it with the biomedical perspective prevalent in the West. These changes, in turn, had important consequences for the transmission of CM in Australia and the West. But while the biomedicalisation of CM has offered the path of least resistance, it has also lead to unworkable simplifications and methodological failures. The paper thus argues for a renewed access to the tradition’s primary sources in order to ally the distinctive features and methods of traditional practice with biomedicine, as an alternative to an outright integration into biomedical practice.

Why Do Emergency Medicine Residents Experience Burn Out? A qualitative study

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Atefe Kamaloo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: Emergency medicine residents are a high–risk group for burnout syndrome. This was a qualitative study with content analysis on emergency medical residents with 2 aims: evaluating the incidence of occupational burnout syndrome and identifying the points of view and attitudes of emergency medical residents about factors related to occupational burnout syndrome.Method: For this study, 2 sessions of focus group discussions were set up at Imam Khomeini hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Each session took 90 minutes, and 20 emergency medicine residents in their first or second year of emergency medicine residency participated in the sessions. Data were coded   by MAXQDA10 software.Results: Data were categorized in 4 themes as follow: (1 the characteristics of emergency medicine; (2 ambiguity in residents’ duties; (3 educational planning; and (4 careers.Data on the proposed solutions by residents were analyzed and coded in 3 groups including (1 changes in personal life; (2 arrangement in shifts; and  (3 educational issues.Conclusion: According to findings of this qualitative study, most of emergency medicine residents have experienced exhaustion sometime during the course of their residency. Psychological supports may help the residents to cope with their career difficulties and probable burn out.

Psychotropic medicine prescriptions in Italian youths: a multiregional study.

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Piovani, Daniele; Clavenna, Antonio; Cartabia, Massimo; Bonati, Maurizio

2016-03-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the trend of paediatric psychotropic drug prescriptions in Italy. Data sources were regional, outpatient prescription databases. Seven Italian regions, covering 50 % of the Italian population, provided data from 2006 to 2011. Prevalence and incidence of prescriptions by age and gender were evaluated for psychotropic, antidepressant, antipsychotic, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) medications. The hospital admission rate for psychiatric conditions was calculated, also at the local health unit (LHU) level. The presence of trends in prescription prevalence and incidence during the 6 year period was assessed. Finally, the correlation between prevalence, prescription, hospital admission rates, latitude, longitude, and average annual income at the LHU level was also investigated. In 2011, 8834 youths received at least one psychotropic drug prescription, with a prevalence of 1.76 ‰ (95 % CI 1.72-1.80). The incidence of new psychotropic drug users was 1.03 ‰ (1.00-1.06). The prevalence of antidepressants was 1.02 ‰ (0.99-1.04), while that of antipsychotics was 0.70 ‰ (0.68-0.72), and that of ADHD medications 0.19 ‰ (0.18-0.21). The psychotropic drug prevalence increased with increasing age. Males were more exposed to psychotropic drugs than females (AUC0-17 male/female = 1.23). Antipsychotics were the most prescribed psychotropic drugs in males, while antidepressants were in females. Between-region prevalence ranged from 1.56 to 2.17 ‰. The overall prevalence of psychotropic drug from 2006 to 2011 was stable (χ(t)2 ≤ 0.001, p = 0.97). No correlation was found between prevalence and the variables investigated. Psychotropic drug prescription was very limited and stable. No geographical patterns were found.

Use of complementary and alternative medicines by a sample of Turkish women for infertility enhancement: a descriptive study

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Kolusari Ali

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Infertility patients are a vulnerable group that often seeks a non-medical solution for their failure to conceive. World-wide, women use CAM for productive health, but only a limited number of studies report on CAM use to enhance fertility. Little is known about traditional and religious forms of therapies that are used in relation to conventional medicine in Turkey. We investigated the prevalence and types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM used by infertile Turkish women for fertility enhancement. Methods A face-to-face questionnaire inquiring demographic information and types of CAM used for fertility enhancement were completed by hundred infertility patients admitted to a primary care family planning centre in Van, Turkey between January and July 2009. Results The vast majority of infertile women had used CAM at least once for infertility. CAM use included religious interventions, herbal products and recommendations of traditional "hodja's" (faith healers. Of these women, 87.8% were abused in the last 12 months, 36.6% felt not being supported by her partner and 80.5% had never spoken with a physician about CAM. Conclusions Infertile Turkish women use complementary medicine frequently for fertility enhancement and are in need of information about CAM. Religious and traditional therapies are used as an adjunct to, rather than a substitute for, conventional medical therapy. Physicians need to approach fertility patients with sensitivity and should be able to council their patients about CAM accordingly.

Prevalence studies in rheumatology: the methodology of the Chiavari study

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T. Maio

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Goals of epidemiological studies are the description of the measures of frequency of diseases, the attempt to clarify possible etiopathogenic mechanisms, and the provision of data to support health policy decisions. To increase the familiarity of rheumatologists toward epidemiology, we describe the methodology used in a prevalence study of musculoskeletal complaints performed in Chiavari, Italy. Methods: A questionnaire, originally developed by the Epidemiology Unit of the Arthitis Research Council in Manchester, UK, to investigate the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis, was used after translation and validation. 4456 subjects aged 16 years or more listed in four general practices were invited to participate in the study and to fill the ARC questionnaire. The 3294 responders reported a any past occurrence of joint swelling lasting more than four weeks and the distribution of the swollen joints on a mannequin; b any joint pain lasting more than four weeks; c current joint pain or swelling; d morning stiffness; e whether they had been previously told by a doctor they had arthritis. Results: Four steps were necessary to obtain a 74% response, i.e. direct contact, two mailings and a phone interview. The performance of the different questions was good. The prevalence of the most common conditions among patients answering positively to the questions regarding morning stiffness and symmetrical swelling of joints was as follows: osteoarthritis 2.60%, fibromyalgia 1.30%, carpal tunnel syndrome 1.14%, rheumatoid arthritis 0.31%, and psoriatic arthritis 0.10%. Conclusions: Methodological issues regarding the selection of the population and sample to study, the development of a questionnaire, and the problems in obtaining valid informations are discussed.

Patient characteristics, resource use and outcomes associated with general internal medicine hospital care: the General Medicine Inpatient Initiative (GEMINI) retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Amol A; Guo, Yishan; Kwan, Janice L; Lapointe-Shaw, Lauren; Rawal, Shail; Tang, Terence; Weinerman, Adina; Cram, Peter; Dhalla, Irfan A; Hwang, Stephen W; Laupacis, Andreas; Mamdani, Muhammad M; Shadowitz, Steven; Upshur, Ross; Reid, Robert J; Razak, Fahad

2017-12-11

The precise scope of hospital care delivered under general internal medicine services remains poorly quantified. The purpose of this study was to describe the demographic characteristics, medical conditions, health outcomes and resource use of patients admitted to general internal medicine at 7 hospital sites in the Greater Toronto Area. This was a retrospective cohort study involving all patients who were admitted to or discharged from general internal medicine at the study sites between Apr. 1, 2010, and Mar. 31, 2015. Clinical data from hospital electronic information systems were linked to administrative data from each hospital. We examined trends in resource use and patient characteristics over the study period. There were 136 208 admissions to general internal medicine involving 88 121 unique patients over the study period. General internal medicine admissions accounted for 38.8% of all admissions from the emergency department and 23.7% of all hospital bed-days. Over the study period, the number of admissions to general internal medicine increased by 32.4%; there was no meaningful change in the median length of stay or cost per hospital stay. The median patient age was 73 (interquartile range [IQR] 57-84) years, and the median number of coexisting conditions was 6 (IQR 3-9). The median acute length of stay was 4.6 (IQR 2.5-8.6) days, and the median total cost per hospital stay was $5850 (IQR $3915-$10 061). Patients received at least 1 computed tomography scan in 52.2% of admissions. The most common primary discharge diagnoses were pneumonia (5.0% of admissions), heart failure (4.7%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4.1%), urinary tract infection (4.0%) and stroke (3.6%). Patients admitted to general internal medicine services represent a large, heterogeneous, resource-intensive and growing population. Understanding and improving general internal medicine care is essential to promote a high-quality, sustainable health care system. Copyright 2017

Economic evaluation studies in nuclear medicine. A methodological review of the literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gambhir, S.S.; Schwimmer, J.

2000-01-01

The growing need for evaluation of the utility of new nuclear medicine technologies has spawned a few economic studies ranging from preliminary indications of cost savings to complete decision analysis models incorporating costs and quality of life. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the methodological quality of economic analyses of nuclear medicine procedures which targeted cost-effectiveness or cost-utility issues published in the medical literature during the years 1985-1999. A computerized literature search was used to identify original investigations from the medical literature which included an economic analysis of a nuclear medicine procedure. Each economic analysis article was evaluated by two independent reviewers for adherence to ten accepted methodological criteria. Of the 29 articles meeting the search criteria, only six (21%) conformed to all ten methodological criteria. Published economic analyses of nuclear medicine procedures usually do not meet accepted methodological standards and could be significantly improved to achieve overall better quality relative to similar analyses in the literature from other medical fields. Continued improvement in the number and quality of economic studies is critically needed for the future competitiveness of nuclear medicine studies

Complementary and alternative medicine use in Iranian patients with diabetes mellitus.

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Hashempur, Mohammad Hashem; Heydari, Mojtaba; Mosavat, Seyed Hamdollah; Heydari, Seyyed Taghi; Shams, Mesbah

2015-09-01

There is increasing interest in complementary and alternative medicine generally, and especially by those affected by chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. We aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use among patients suffering from diabetes mellitus in Shiraz, southern Iran. Another objective was to explore associated factors for use of complementary and alternative medicine among patients with diabetes mellitus. A 19-item semi-structured questionnaire (open- and close-ended) was administered to 239 patients with diabetes mellitus in this cross-sectional study. It was carried out in two outpatient diabetes clinics affiliated with the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. One hundred and eighty patients (75.3%) used at least one type of complementary and alternative medicine in the last year prior to the interview. Patients with diabetes mellitus who were living in a large family (≥5 members), not taking insulin, and believed that complementary and alternative medicine have synergistic effects with conventional medicine, were independently and significantly (P values: 0.02, 0.04, and 0.01, respectively) more likely to use complementary and alternative medicine. Most of the users (97.7%) reported use of herbal preparations, and 89.4% of users did not change their medication, neither in medication schedule nor its dosage. The use of complementary and alternative medicine, especially herbal remedies, is popular among diabetes patients in Shiraz, Iran. This use is associated with patients' family size, type of conventional medications and their view about concomitant use of complementary and conventional medicine.

Prevalence and Distribution of Neurological Disease in a Neurology ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Uche

Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research – January 2011 – Vol. 1 N0.1. >>>63<<<. Prevalence and Distribution of Neurological Disease in a. Neurology Clinic in Enugu, Nigeria. Onwuekwe IO* and Ezeala-Adikaibe B*. *Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine,. University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, ...

Safety classification of herbal medicines used among pregnant women in Asian countries: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Mansoor; Hwang, Jung Hye; Choi, Soojeung; Han, Dongwoon

2017-11-14

High prevalence of herbal medicines used in pregnancy and the lack of information on their safety is a public concern. Despite this, no significant research has been done regarding potential adverse effects of using herbal medicines during pregnancy, especially among developing Asian countries. Cross-sectional studies were searched up to year 2016 on PubMed/Medline and EMBASE, the data were extracted and quality of studies was assessed using the quality appraisal tool. The findings are reported in accordance to the PRISMA checklist (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Classification on safety of identified herbal medicines was done based on current scientific literature. This study included eight cross-sectional studies (2729 participants) from seven different Asian countries, of which 1283 (47.01%) women used one or more herbal medicines during pregnancy. Peppermint (22.8%), aniseed (14.7%), olibanum (12.9%), flixweed seed (12.2%) and ginger (11.5%) were the most frequently used herbal medicines. Out of the 33 identified herbal medicines, 13 were classified as safe to use, five as use with caution, eight were potentially harmful to use in pregnancy and information on seven herbal medicines was not available in the current literature. Several herbal medicines identified in this review were classified to be potentially harmful or the information regarding safety in pregnancy was missing. It is recommended that contraindicated herbal medicines should be avoided and other herbals should be taken under supervision of a qualified health care practitioner. The classification regarding safety of herbal medicines in pregnancy can be utilized to create awareness on prevention of adverse effects.

Study on drug costs associated with COPD prescription medicine in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, M; Anker, N; Dollerup, J

2013-01-01

that the costs associated with COPD in Denmark are significant, but costs of prescription medicine for COPD were not analysed. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the societal costs associated with prescription medicine for COPD in Denmark. METHODS: The study was designed as a nationwide retrospective register study...... in 2010 with total costs of DKK 685 million (EUR 92 million). The average lifetime costs associated with COPD prescription medicine were estimated to be DKK 70,000-75,000 (EUR 9,416-10,089) per patient (2010 prices). CONCLUSION: The costs associated with prescription medicine for COPD in Denmark...... of the drug costs (ATC group R03) associated with COPD in the period 2001-2010. Data were retrieved from the Prescription Database, the National Patient Register and the Centralised Civil Register. The population comprised individuals (40+ years) who had at least one prescription of selected R03 drugs and who...

STUDY ON DRUG COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH COPD PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE IN DENMARK

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Iris Marie; Anker, Niels; Dolleru, Jens

2012-01-01

that the costs associated with COPD in Denmark are significant, but costs of prescription medicine for COPD were not analysed. OBJECTIVES: To analyse the societal costs associated with prescription medicine for COPD in Denmark. METHODS: The study was designed as a nationwide retrospective register study...... in 2010 with total costs of DKK 685 million (EUR 92 million). The average lifetime costs associated with COPD prescription medicine were estimated to be DKK 70,000-75,000 (EUR 9,416-10,089) per patient (2010 prices). CONCLUSION: The costs associated with prescription medicine for COPD in Denmark...... of the drug costs (ATC group R03) associated with COPD in the period 2001-2010. Data were retrieved from the Prescription Database, the National Patient Register and the Centralised Civil Register. The population comprised individuals (40+ years) who had at least one prescription of selected R03 drugs and who...

[Analises of the mortality in aged in an Internal Medicine Department].

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Cinza Sanjurjo, S; Cabarcos Ortiz de Barrón, A; Nieto Pol, E; Torre Carballada, J A

2007-02-01

To establish the characteristics of the deceased and the death causes. Transversal study descriptive, with intake patients elder than 65 years old in an Internal Medicine Department. The variables analized were: age, sex, intake date, discharge date, days of hospital stay, chronic disease previous, admission cause, deceased, diagnoses. The statistical analysis was performed with measures of central tendency and of standard deviation, Chi-cuadrado, Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis. During the revised year, there are 770 patients intaked in Internal Medicine Department and 128 exitus (16.6%). The global average death age was 78.3 +/- 1.3 years: 53.1% (0.44-0.62; p = 0.48) were men and 46.9% were women. The average death intake days was 13.3 +/- 1.7 days (p < 0.001), 3.9% died in less than forty-eight hours after hospitalization. The most frequent admission cause was: dyspnea (46.1%). The most frequent chronic diseases were: ischemic and hypertensive heart disease (18.8%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The most frequent death cause was respiratory tract infection (43.8%). The prevalence cardiac and pulmonary disease prevalence is high, these diseases are the of the most frequent causes hospital mortality.

Prevalence of vision loss among hospital in-patients; a risk factor for falls?

Science.gov (United States)

Leat, Susan J; Zecevic, Aleksandra A; Keeling, Alexis; Hileeto, Denise; Labreche, Tammy; Brymer, Christopher

2018-01-01

Despite poor vision being a risk factor for falls, current hospital policies and practices often do not include a vision assessment at patient admission or in the hospital's incident reporting system when a fall occurs. Our purpose was to document the prevalence of vision loss in hospital general medicine units to increase awareness of poor vision as a potential risk factor for falls that occur within the hospital, and inform future preventative practice. This cross-sectional study took place in medicine units of an acute care hospital. Participants were adult in-patients. Visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity and stereoacuity were measured, and patients were screened for field loss, extinction and neglect. 115 participants took part (average age 67 ± 17, 48% female). Overall, 89% had a visual impairment defined as being outside the age-norms for one or more vision measure, 62% had low vision, and 36% had vision loss equivalent to legal blindness [VA equal to or poorer than 1.0 logMAR (6/60, 20/200) or ≥10x below age-norms]. There was a considerable discrepancy between the prevalence of low vision and the percentage of patients who reported an ocular diagnosis that would result in visual loss (30%). Ten patients fell during the study period, and of these 100% had visual impairment, 90% had low vision and 60% had vision loss equivalent to legal blindness, which compares to 58%, 22% and 9% for non-fallers. Similar high prevalences were found in those whose reason for admission to the hospital was a fall (92%, 63% and 33% respectively). Vision loss has a high prevalence among patients in hospital medicine units, and is higher still among those who fall. Since vision loss may be a contributing factor to falls that occur in hospitals, implementing an assessment of vision at hospital admission would be useful to alert staff to those patients who are at risk for falls due to poor vision, so that preventative measures can be applied. © 2017 The Authors Ophthalmic

Omega-3 and omega-6 content of medicinal foods for depressed patients: implications from the Iranian Traditional Medicine

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Mandana Tavakkoli-Kakhki

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Considering the increasing prevalence of depression in modern societies and the positive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on depression, this study aims to investigate the omega-3 and omega-6 content of various foodstuffs, prescribed or prohibited by Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM. Materials and Methods: Firstly, reliable sources of Iranian Traditional Medicine were reviewed in order to identify the prescribed and prohibited foodstuffs for depressed patients. Afterwards, according to the online database of United States Department of Agriculture (URL: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list, the ratio of linoleic acid to alpha linolenic acid (as representatives of omega-6 and omega-3, respectively was identified in each foodstuff. Finally, the ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 were compared between seven food groups of vegetables, fruits, dry goods, high protein products, dairies, breads, and spices. Results: Based on the resources of Iranian Traditional Medicine, the following foods are prescribed for depressed patients: basil, coriander, spinach, lettuce, squash, peppermint, dill, chicory, celery, beet, quince, cucumber, watermelon, grape, peach, pomegranate, banana, apple, currant, pistachio, dried fig, almond, egg, chicken, lamb, trout, milk, bread without bran,saffron, oregano, and coriander seeds. On the other hand, cabbage, eggplant, onion, garlic, broad beans, lentils, beef, whole wheat bread, and mustard are prohibited. It should be noted that omega-3 content in some prescribed foods is more than that of the prohibited ones. Conclusion: The present study showed that mint, basil, spinach, lettuce, squash, lamb, saffron, oregano, cucumber, pistachio, milk, and also wild trout can be considered as medicinal foods for depressed patients.

[Study on pharmacologic action characteristics of traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian based on medicinal properties combinations].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Hong-Ling; Gu, Hao; Wang, Yun; Qiao, Yan-Jiang

2014-07-01

To establish a characterization system of traditional Chinese medicinal properties in line with modern scientific cognition regularity, in order to reveal properties of traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian and relations of effects of medicinal properties. By collecting data about traditional Chinese medicinal properties recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2005 Edition), literature and data about pharmacological effects of traditional Chinese medicines recorded in the Chinese Materia Medica, by using the method of association rules, the authors dug pharmacological effect rules corresponds to relevant medicinal property combinations, with the medicinal property combination of traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian as the target. It was found that either obvious different pharmacological effects or identical pharmacological characteristics existed in traditional Chinese medicines distributed along liver meridian. With the aim to explore the correlations between traditional Chinese medicine medicinal properties and pharmacological effects, the authors linked the traditional Chinese medicine theory with modern research achievements, in order to provide the ideas and methods for interpreting mechanisms of medicinal properties.

Genome-wide association study of the four-constitution medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Chang Shik; Park, Hi Joon; Chung, Joo-Ho; Lee, Hye-Jung; Lee, Byung-Cheol

2009-12-01

Four-constitution medicine (FCM), also known as Sasang constitutional medicine, and the heritage of the long history of individualized acupuncture medicine tradition, is one of the holistic and traditional systems of constitution to appraise and categorize individual differences into four major types. This study first reports a genome-wide association study on FCM, to explore the genetic basis of FCM and facilitate the integration of FCM with conventional individual differences research. Healthy individuals of the Korean population were classified into the four constitutional types (FCTs). A total of 353,202 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were typed using whole genome amplified samples, and six-way comparison of FCM types provided lists of significantly differential SNPs. In one-to-one FCT comparisons, 15,944 SNPs were significantly differential, and 5 SNPs were commonly significant in all of the three comparisons. In one-to-two FCT comparisons, 22,616 SNPs were significantly differential, and 20 SNPs were commonly significant in all of the three comparison groups. This study presents the association between genome-wide SNP profiles and the categorization of the FCM, and it could further provide a starting point of genome-based identification and research of the constitutions of FCM.

Long-Term Course of Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS Patients Receiving Integrative Korean Medicine Treatment: A 1 Year Prospective Observational Multicenter Study.

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Jinho Lee

Full Text Available With increase of spine surgeries, failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS prevalence is also rising. While complementary and alternative medicine (CAM is commonly used for low back pain (LBP, there are no studies reporting use of integrative Korean medicine in FBSS patients.Patients with pain continuing after back surgery or recurring within 1 year and visual analogue scale (VAS of LBP or leg pain of ≥6 (total n = 120 were recruited at 2 hospital sites from November 2011 to September 2014. Weekly sessions of integrative Korean medicine treatment were conducted for 16 weeks (herbal medicine, acupuncture/electroacupuncture, pharmacopuncture/bee venom pharmacopuncture, and Chuna manual therapy with additional follow-ups at 24 weeks and 1 year. Outcome measures included VAS of LBP and leg pain (primary outcome, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI, Short-Form 36 (SF-36, medical use, and patient global impression of change (PGIC.VAS of LBP and leg pain improved at 6 months (LBP from 6.1±2.0 at baseline to 2.9±2.3; and leg pain from 5.4±2.6 to 2.4±2.5, respectively. Eighty patients (66.7% showed improvement of 50% or more in main pain of LBP or leg pain from baseline. Disability and quality of life also improved at 6 months (ODI from 41.3±12.3 at baseline to 23.6±13.6; and SF-36 from 42.8±14.5 to 62.7±16.8. At 1 year follow-up, conventional medical management use decreased, improvement in pain and disability was maintained, and 79.2% reported improvement of PGIC.Despite limitations as an observational study, integrative Korean medicine treatment showed positive results in pain, function, and quality of life of FBSS patients.

A Study On Correlation Between Fertility And Contraceptive Prevalence In Rural Community

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Reema Verma

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Objectives: (1    To find the contraceptive prevalence in different reproductive age group females. (2    What is the correlation between fertility pattern and contraceptive prevalence. Study Design : Cross sectional descriptive study. Setting : Community Development block Sarojini Nagar, Lucknow district. Study universe : Married females in reproductive age group (15-49 Years. Study variables : Age, fertility, contraceptive prevalence, education and social class. Statistical analysis : Chi Square test. Result : Contraceptive prevalence was 29.7%. It was 6.5% for women aged 15-19 year to 45.2% for women aged 35­39 years. The acceptors were analyzed based on the number of living children. 74% of the acceptors had 3 or more children as against 26% with 0 to 2 living children.

Prevalence and incidence of epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of international studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiest, Kirsten M; Sauro, Khara M; Wiebe, Samuel; Patten, Scott B; Kwon, Churl-Su; Dykeman, Jonathan; Pringsheim, Tamara; Lorenzetti, Diane L; Jetté, Nathalie

2017-01-17

To review population-based studies of the prevalence and incidence of epilepsy worldwide and use meta-analytic techniques to explore factors that may explain heterogeneity between estimates. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses standards were followed. We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for articles published on the prevalence or incidence of epilepsy since 1985. Abstract, full-text review, and data abstraction were conducted in duplicate. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to explore the association between prevalence or incidence, age group, sex, country level income, and study quality. A total of 222 studies were included (197 on prevalence, 48 on incidence). The point prevalence of active epilepsy was 6.38 per 1,000 persons (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 5.57-7.30), while the lifetime prevalence was 7.60 per 1,000 persons (95% CI 6.17-9.38). The annual cumulative incidence of epilepsy was 67.77 per 100,000 persons (95% CI 56.69-81.03) while the incidence rate was 61.44 per 100,000 person-years (95% CI 50.75-74.38). The prevalence of epilepsy did not differ by age group, sex, or study quality. The active annual period prevalence, lifetime prevalence, and incidence rate of epilepsy were higher in low to middle income countries. Epilepsies of unknown etiology and those with generalized seizures had the highest prevalence. This study provides a comprehensive synthesis of the prevalence and incidence of epilepsy from published international studies and offers insight into factors that contribute to heterogeneity between estimates. Significant gaps (e.g., lack of incidence studies, stratification by age groups) were identified. Standardized reporting of future epidemiologic studies of epilepsy is needed. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Global Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine in Childhood Cancer: A Systematic Review

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Caroline Diorio

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM strategies are commonly used in pediatric oncology. Patterns may vary based on country income. We systematically reviewed published studies describing T&CM use among pediatric oncology patients in low-income countries (LIC/LMIC, middle-income countries (UMIC, and high-income countries (HIC. Objectives included describing estimated prevalence of use, reasons for use, perceived effectiveness, modalities used, rates of disclosure, and reporting of delayed or abandoned treatment. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and ProceedingsFirst were searched. Inclusion criteria were primary studies involving children younger than the age of 18 years, undergoing active treatment of cancer, and any T&CM use. Exclusion criteria included no pediatric oncology–specific outcomes and studies involving only children off active treatment. Data were extracted by two reviewers using a systematic data extraction form determined a priori. Results: Sixty-five studies published between 1977 and 2015 were included, representing 61 unique data sets and 7,219 children from 34 countries. The prevalence of T&CM use ranged from 6% to 100%. Median rates of use were significantly different in LIC/LMIC (66.7% ± 19%, UMIC (60% ± 26%, and HIC (47.2% ± 20%; P = .02. Rates of disclosure differed significantly by country income, with higher median rates in HIC. Seven studies reported on treatment abandonment or delays. Conclusion: The use of T&CM in pediatric oncology is common worldwide, with higher median prevalence of use reported in LIC/LMIC. Further research is warranted to examine the impact on treatment abandonment and delay.

Prevalence and co-prevalence of comorbidities in Belgian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a transversal, descriptive study.

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Hermans, Michel P; Dath, Nicolas

2018-02-01

Most patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have at least one comorbid chronic disease. These comorbidities increase disease burden and costs and may impact the selection of glucose-lowering therapies. The aim of our study was to describe the prevalence and co-prevalence of comorbidities in patients with T2DM in Belgium. This was a single centre, transversal, descriptive study performed at Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. T2DM patients aged >18 years presenting to the outpatient diabetes clinic and regularly followed (≥1 year) between July 2011 and 2016 were included in the database. Information on descriptive characteristics was collected and several comorbidities were assessed. Overall, 778 patients were included. The median age was 68 years. The most frequently observed comorbidities were hypertension (85.5%), metabolic syndrome (MetS; 84.6%) and non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis (71.7%). 78.5% of the T2DM patients had ≥4 comorbidities. The highest co-prevalence of comorbidities was the combination of MetS and hypertension (75.8%), MetS and overweight (60.5%), and hypertension and overweight (56.6%). The observed prevalence and co-prevalence of comorbidities in T2DM Belgian patients was high, with 95.0% patients having at least two comorbid conditions.

Competency-based evaluation tools for integrative medicine training in family medicine residency: a pilot study

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Schneider Craig

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As more integrative medicine educational content is integrated into conventional family medicine teaching, the need for effective evaluation strategies grows. Through the Integrative Family Medicine program, a six site pilot program of a four year residency training model combining integrative medicine and family medicine training, we have developed and tested a set of competency-based evaluation tools to assess residents' skills in integrative medicine history-taking and treatment planning. This paper presents the results from the implementation of direct observation and treatment plan evaluation tools, as well as the results of two Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs developed for the program. Methods The direct observation (DO and treatment plan (TP evaluation tools developed for the IFM program were implemented by faculty at each of the six sites during the PGY-4 year (n = 11 on DO and n = 8 on TP. The OSCE I was implemented first in 2005 (n = 6, revised and then implemented with a second class of IFM participants in 2006 (n = 7. OSCE II was implemented in fall 2005 with only one class of IFM participants (n = 6. Data from the initial implementation of these tools are described using descriptive statistics. Results Results from the implementation of these tools at the IFM sites suggest that we need more emphasis in our curriculum on incorporating spirituality into history-taking and treatment planning, and more training for IFM residents on effective assessment of readiness for change and strategies for delivering integrative medicine treatment recommendations. Focusing our OSCE assessment more narrowly on integrative medicine history-taking skills was much more effective in delineating strengths and weaknesses in our residents' performance than using the OSCE for both integrative and more basic communication competencies. Conclusion As these tools are refined further they will be of value both in improving

Nuclear medicine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, S M [Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Bombay (India). Radiation Medicine Centre

1967-01-01

The article deals with the growth of nuclear medicine in India. Radiopharmaceuticals both in elemental form and radiolabelled compounds became commercially available in India in 1961. Objectives and educational efforts of the Radiation Medicine Centre setup in Bombay are mentioned. In vivo tests of nuclear medicine such as imaging procedures, dynamic studies, dilution studies, thyroid function studies, renal function studies, linear function studies, blood flow, and absorption studies are reported. Techniques of radioimmunoassay are also mentioned.

Factors influencing selection of internal medicine residency--a prospective study.

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Pereg, David; Gronich, Naomi; Lishner, Michael

2006-08-01

Recently, the popularity of internal medicine residency has been decreasing. We studied the effect of an improved working environment and a decrease in residents' workload on the selection of internal medicine residency. An organizational diagnosis team joined our department and identified several causes for residents' heavy workload. These findings were subsequently discussed in a workshop and led to a modification of the daily routine and a parallel decrease in workload and rise in residents' satisfaction. Following these changes, the demand for residency in our department rose. We conclude that an improvement in the working environment and workload during residency increases the residents' satisfaction and the demand for residency in internal medicine.

Access to medicines for chronic diseases in Brazil: a multidimensional approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Maria Auxiliadora; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Tavares, Noemia Urruth Leão; Mengue, Sotero Serrate; Arrais, Paulo Sergio Dourado; Farias, Mareni Rocha; Pizzol, Tatiane da Silva Dal; Ramos, Luiz Roberto; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso

2016-12-01

To analyze the access to medicines to treat non-communicable diseases in Brazil according to socioeconomic, demographic, and health-related factors, from a multidimensional perspective. Analysis of data from the National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM), household survey, sampling plan by conglomerates with representativeness of the Brazilian population and large areas of the country, according to sex and age domains. Data collected in 2013-2014 with sample of adults (≥ 20 years) who reported having non-communicable diseases and medical indication for use of medicines (n = 12,725). We assessed the prevalence of access to medicines for self-reported non-communicable diseases, considering four dimensions: availability, geographic accessibility, acceptability, and affordability. We applied Pearson's Chi-square test to assess the statistical significance of the differences between strata, considering the level of significance of 5%. We found prevalence of 94.3%, 5.2%, and 0.5% for full, partial, and null access, respectively. Higher prevalence was observed among seniors in the South compared to the Northeast; for those who reported having one non-communicable disease compared to those who reported having two or more; for those who needed one medicine compared to those who needed three or more; and for those who self-assessed their health as good or very good. Geographic accessibility was similar in the Unified Health System and in the private pharmacies (72.0%). Total availability of medicines was 45.2% in the Unified Health System, 67.4% in the Popular Pharmacy Program, and 88.5% in private pharmacies. Acceptability was 92.5% in the Unified Health System, 97.8% in the Popular Pharmacy Program, and 98.7% in private pharmacies. As to affordability, 2.6% of the individuals failed to take the medicines they should in the 30-day period prior to the interview due to financial difficulty. Prevalence of full access to medicines for

A comparative study on medicinal plants used in Akha's traditional medicine in China and Thailand, cultural coherence or ecological divergence?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Inta, A.; Shengji, P.; Balslev, Henrik

2008-01-01

Aim of the study : The survey aims to study the effect of geographic separation of ethnic groups on local knowledge of medicinal plants used by Akha people in Thailand and China, who were separated 100-120 years ago, to see how different the two geographically distinct but culturally similar groups...... were in this respect. Materials and methods : Interviewing 10 villagers in each of five Akha villages, three in Thailand and two in China, about which plants they used and how they used them. Results : A total of 95 medicinal plants registered in the five villages only 16 were shared between China......, but that when using these new species they have maintained other traditions relating to medicinal plants....

Prevalence of food sensitization and probable food allergy among adults in India: the EuroPrevall INCO study.

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Mahesh, P A; Wong, Gary W K; Ogorodova, L; Potts, J; Leung, T F; Fedorova, O; Holla, Amrutha D; Fernandez-Rivas, M; Clare Mills, E N; Kummeling, I; Versteeg, S A; van Ree, R; Yazdanbakhsh, M; Burney, P

2016-07-01

Data are lacking regarding the prevalence of food sensitization and probable food allergy among general population in India. We report the prevalence of sensitization and probable food allergy to 24 common foods among adults from general population in Karnataka, South India. The study was conducted in two stages: a screening study and a case-control study. A total of 11 791 adults in age group 20-54 were randomly sampled from general population in South India and answered a screening questionnaire. A total of 588 subjects (236 cases and 352 controls) participated in the case-control study involving a detailed questionnaire and specific IgE estimation for 24 common foods. A high level of sensitization (26.5%) was observed for most of the foods in the general population, higher than that observed among adults in Europe, except for those foods that cross-react with birch pollen. Most of the sensitization was observed in subjects who had total IgE above the median IgE level. A high level of cross-reactivity was observed among different pollens and foods and among foods. The prevalence of probable food allergy (self-reports of adverse symptoms after the consumption of food and specific IgE to the same food) was 1.2%, which was mainly accounted for cow's milk (0.5%) and apple (0.5%). Very high levels of sensitization were observed for most foods, including those not commonly consumed in the general population. For the levels of sensitization, the prevalence of probable food allergy was low. This disassociation needs to be further explored in future studies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Application of network biology on study of traditional Chinese medicine].

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Tian, Sai-Sai; Yang, Jian; Zhao, Jing; Zhang, Wei-Dong

2018-01-01

With the completion of the human genome project, people have gradually recognized that the functions of the biological system are fulfilled through network-type interaction between genes, proteins and small molecules, while complex diseases are caused by the imbalance of biological processes due to a number of gene expression disorders. These have contributed to the rise of the concept of the "multi-target" drug discovery. Treatment and diagnosis of traditional Chinese medicine are based on holism and syndrome differentiation. At the molecular level, traditional Chinese medicine is characterized by multi-component and multi-target prescriptions, which is expected to provide a reference for the development of multi-target drugs. This paper reviews the application of network biology in traditional Chinese medicine in six aspects, in expectation to provide a reference to the modernized study of traditional Chinese medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Prevalence of Atherosclerotic Coronary Stenosis in Asymptomatic North Indian Population: A Post-mortem Coronary Angiography Study.

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Bansal, Yogender Singh; Mandal, Shatrugan Prasad; Kumar, Senthil; Setia, Puneet

2015-09-01

A preliminary study of coronaries using post-mortem angiography was undertaken to see the prevalence of atherosclerotic coronary stenosis in non-cardiac unnatural deaths. This study was conducted in a tertiary care centre located in Chandigarh. A total of 128 medico-legal cases were studied comprising 88 males and 40 females. Post-mortem examinations of these MLC cases were conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine, PGIMER, Chandigarh. All hearts were visually screened by post-mortem coronary angiography first and then grossly examined using serial transverse incision technique in positive screening cases to find the degree of narrowing. Of the study group, 34% males and 20% females showed evidence of narrowing on angiography. Of the males showing coronary stenosis, 83% had single vessel disease and 13% had double vessel disease, while only one individual had triple vessel disease. In cases of female, all the cases of coronary stenosis were single vessel disease. Left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was the most common vessel involved, followed by right coronary artery (RCA) & Left circumflex artery (LCX) and in cases of double vessel disease, LAD in combination with LCX was responsible for 75% of the cases. Remarkably 23.6% of study population in the age group of less than 40 years showed appreciable narrowing in at least one of the coronaries. In general, the prevalence of CAD is on the rise, particularly in younger population owing to the changes in their lifestyle and food habits. This preliminary study revealed evidence of narrowing of at least one coronary in 34% male and 20% female population and 23.6% subjects were less than 40 years old. Further detailed studies are needed especially in younger age group and to support the need for preventive cardiology in the early years of life.

Ethnopharmacological studies of indigenous medicinal plants in the south of Kerman, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadat-Hosseini, Mohammad; Farajpour, Mostafa; Boroomand, Naser; Solaimani-Sardou, Farshad

2017-03-06

The aim of this study was to collect and document information concerning the medicinal plants used by indigenous people and traditional healers in the south of Kerman Province, Iran. Overall, 64 informants between the ages of 30 and 89 were interviewed about the modes of application and consumption of medicinal plants in the region. Quantitative analysis was conducted that included informant consensus factor (ICF), use value (UV), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and cultural importance index (CI). In the current study, a total of 115 medicinal plants in 41 families were reported in the south of the Kerman region. Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Lamiaceae (with 14 species each) were the families with the most medicinal plants. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves at 26.17% and aerial parts (23.49%). Decoction (53%), liniment (23%) and infusion (9%) were the most common preparation methods. The highest UVs were obtained from the following medicinal plants: Amygdalus eburnea Spach, Genista tinctoria L., Calotropis procera (Aiton) Dryand., Fortuynia garcinii (Burm.f.) Shuttlew. and Cerasus mahaleb (L.) Mill. The ICF results indicated that cold-flu and fever were the most common diseases (0.67) in the south of Kerman. Based on the current study, the south of Kerman has many potential medicinal plants, and these plants should be the focus of future research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potentially harmful excipients in neonatal medicines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nellis, Georgi; Metsvaht, Tuuli; Varendi, Heili

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to describe administration of eight potentially harmful excipients of interest (EOI)-parabens, polysorbate 80, propylene glycol, benzoates, saccharin sodium, sorbitol, ethanol and benzalkonium chloride-to hospitalised neonates in Europe and to identify risk factors for exposure....... METHODS: All medicines administered to neonates during 1 day with individual prescription and demographic data were registered in a web-based point prevalence study. Excipients were identified from the Summaries of Product Characteristics. Determinants of EOI administration (geographical region......, gestational age (GA), active pharmaceutical ingredient, unit level and hospital teaching status) were identified using multivariable logistical regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall 89 neonatal units from 21 countries participated. Altogether 2095 prescriptions for 530 products administered to 726 neonates...

Prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity in Latin America

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Carrion JZ

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Juliana Zimmermann Carrion1, João Borges Fortes Filho2, Marcia Beatriz Tartarella3, Andrea Zin4, Ignozy Dorneles Jornada Jr41Program for the Prevention of Blindness due to Retinopathy of Prematurity, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, 3Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 4Departament of Neonatology, Instituto Fernandes Figueira, Rio de Janeiro, 5University Luterana do Brasil School of Medicine, Canoas, BrazilAbstract: The purpose of this work was to review the studies published over the last 10 years concerning the prevalence of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP in Latin American countries, to determine if there was an improvement in ROP prevalence rates in that period, and to identify the inclusion criteria for patients at risk of developing ROP in the screening programs. A total of 33 studies from ten countries published between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. Prevalence of any ROP stage in the regions considered ranged from 6.6% to 82%; ROP severe enough to require treatment ranged from 1.2% to 23.8%. There was no routine screening for ROP, and there was a lack of services for treatment of the disease in many countries. Inclusion criteria for patients in the studies ranged between birth weight ≤1500 g and ≤2000 g and gestational age ≤32 and <37 weeks. Use of different inclusion criteria regarding birth weight and gestational age in several Latin American studies hindered comparative analysis of the published data. Highly restrictive selection criteria for ROP screening in relation to birth weight and gestational age should not be used throughout most Latin American countries because of their different social characteristics and variable neonatal care procedures. The studies included in this review failed to provide adequate information to determine if the prevalence of ROP

Seasonal prevalence of hydatidosis in buffaloes –A retrospective study

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AarifM. Khan

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Aim: To identify the prevalence of Hydatidosis in buffaloe-calves, heifers and adults slaughtered in slaughter house of Mirha Exports Pvt. Ltd. between March 2010 to Feb. 2011.Materials and Methods: 2,09,615 buffaloes slaughtered were included in this study and were categorized into three groups (A, B and C based on their age at the time of ante-mortem examination. Group Aconsisted of calves (>1 year, accounting for 5100 out of the total number of animals. Group B consisted of heifers (2-3 years accounting for 7840. Group C consisted of adult buffaloes (3-7 years accounting for 1, 96675. Results:Our study revealed an overall prevalence of hydatidosis as 50.96%. Furthermore, the group wise analysis showed the prevalence as 3.52%, 5.58% and 54% in calves, heifers and adult buffaloes, respectively.Conclusion: Based on the factors considered, we conclude that the higher prevalence of infections in buffaloes slaughtered in the Mirha Exports is likely due to an overpopulation of stray dogs in the areas from which the plant gets its supply of animals.

Prevalence of dental developmental anomalies: a radiographic study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ezoddini, Ardakani F; Sheikhha, M H; Ahmadi, H

2007-09-01

To determine the prevalence of developmental dental anomalies in patients attending the Dental Faculty of Medical University of Yazd, Iran and the gender differences of these anomalies. A retrospective study based on the panoramic radiographs of 480 patients. Patients referred for panoramic radiographs were clinically examined, a detailed family history of any dental anomalies in their first and second degree relatives was obtained and finally their radiographs were studied in detail for the presence of dental anomalies. 40.8% of the patients had dental anomalies. The more common anomalies were dilaceration (15%), impacted teeth (8.3%) and taurodontism (7.5%) and supernumerary teeth (3.5%). Macrodontia and fusion were detected in a few radiographs (0.2%). 49.1% of male patients had dental anomalies compared to 33.8% of females. Dilaceration, taurodontism and supernumerary teeth were found to be more prevalent in men than women, whereas impacted teeth, microdontia and gemination were more frequent in women. Family history of dental anomalies was positive in 34% of the cases.. Taurodontism, gemination, dens in dente and talon cusp were specifically limited to the patients under 20 year's old, while the prevalence of other anomalies was almost the same in all groups. Dilaceration, impaction and taurodontism were relatively common in the studied populaton. A family history of dental anomalies was positive in a third of cases.

[Prevalence of trauma-related disorders in the French WHO study: Santé mentale en population générale (SMPG)].

Science.gov (United States)

Vaiva, G; Jehel, L; Cottencin, O; Ducrocq, F; Duchet, C; Omnes, C; Genest, P; Rouillon, F; Roelandt, J-L

2008-12-01

epidemiologic surveys named above. Regarding age, as in the ESEMeD survey, anxiety disorders appeared to be more frequent among younger people. The originality of the SMPG survey is obviously in the fact that it studied the functional impact of the psychic disorder, the type of care and the satisfaction level after care. Only 50% of the PTSD population feels sick which is, however, twice as high as for the psychotraumatized population. This doesn't fit either with the fact that 100% of the PTSD population say they feel uncomfortable with other people. The type of care is in the same vein: 50% of psychotherapies and 75% of medication, but also 25% of mild medicines and 25% of traditional medicines. Moreover, among the drugs, antidepressants (that are still the first choice treatment in all international recommendations) represent only 30%, whereas anxiolytics, hypnotics and phytotherapy represent the remaining 70%. Regarding the type of care, the differences between the psychotraumatized population and the PTSD population are obvious. They are obvious in that which concerns the type of care, since the medication is similar. From a very global point of view, patients suffering from a subsyndromal PTSD rarely choose medical care (religion, mild or traditional medicine), while full PTSD patients definitely choose classical medical care (drugs, psychotherapy, and 30% of hospitalization). The prevalence of those who ask for care is very close to that observed in the ESEMeD survey, which was four individuals out of 10 suffering from PTSD. The SMPG data show that its necessary to maintain the distinction between subsyndromal PTSD and full PTSD since the populations differ, but both need care.

Prevalence of alcohol and other psychoactive substances in drivers in general traffic. Part I: General results

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Houwing, Sjoerd; Hagenzieker, Marjan; Mathijssen, René

2011-01-01

DRUID (Driving under the Influence of Drugs, Alcohol and Medicines) aimed to combat the problem of driving under the influence of psychoactive substances by providing a solid scientific base for European policy makers. It brought together experienced organisations in Europe to assemble...... of offenders and withdrawal of driving licenses (www.druid-project.eu). The main objective of WP2 of DRUID was to assess the situation in Europe regarding the prevalence and risk of the use of illicit drugs, alcohol and psychoactive medicinal drugs by drivers. The main aim of this study was to obtain more...

Low prevalence of hypopituitarism after traumatic brain injury: a multicenter study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kokshoorn, N. E.; Smit, J. W. A.; Nieuwlaat, W. A.; Tiemensma, J.; Bisschop, P. H.; Groote Veldman, R.; Roelfsema, F.; Franken, A. A. M.; Wassenaar, M. J. E.; Biermasz, N. R.; Romijn, J. A.; Pereira, A. M.

2011-01-01

Hypopituitarism after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered to be a prevalent condition. However, prevalence rates differ considerably among reported studies, due to differences in definitions, endocrine assessments of hypopituitarism, and confounding factors, such as timing of evaluation and

Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among workers at a private tertiary center in Angola

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Paquissi FC

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Feliciano Chanana Paquissi,1 Valdano Manuel,2 Ana Manuel,2 Guiomar Lote Mateus,1 Bruna David,2 Gertrudes Béu,3 Anselmo Castela3 1Department of Medicine, 2Cardio-Thoracic Center, 3Service of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Clínica Girassol, Luanda, Angola Background: The burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD is increasing in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa. However, as there is a scarcity of data, little is known about CVD in Angola. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension, prediabetes, diabetes, overweight, and obesity among workers at a private tertiary center in Angola. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 781 workers of Clínica Girassol, a tertiary health care center in Angola, during the month of November 2013. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical variables were analyzed. Results: Of the 781 participants studied, 50.44% were males and 78.11% were under 40 years old. The prevalence of hypertension and prehypertension was 17.93% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.24%–20.74% and 54.03% (95% CI: 50.58%–57.62%, respectively. Among hypertensive subjects, 83.57% (117 were unaware of the diagnosis. Hypertension was associated with age (≥40 years (odds ratio [OR]: 6.21; 95% CI: 4.18–9.24; P<0.001 and with overweight and obesity (OR: 2.32; 95% CI: 1.56–3.44; P<0.001. The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes was 2.69% (95% CI: 1.54%–3.97% and 7.94% (95% CI: 6.02%–9.99%, respectively. The prevalence of overweight was 34.44% (95% CI: 31.11%–37.90% and 19.85% (95% CI: 17.03%–22.79% for obesity. There was an association between overweight and obesity and the female sex (OR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.29–2.28; P<0.001. The prevalence of family history of CVD, smoking, and alcoholism was 52.24%, 4.87%, and 45.33%, respectively. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in apparently healthy workers at the private tertiary center in Angola

The Prevalence of Amblyopia and Its Determinants in a Population-based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, Mohammad; Hashemi, Hassan; Nabovati, Payam; Saatchi, Mohammad; Yekta, Abbasali; Rafati, Shokoofeh; Ostadimoghaddam, Hadi; Khabazkhoob, Mehdi

2017-12-01

To determine the prevalence of amblyopia and its determinants in a population-based study in Mashhad County, Iran. This cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted on the population of Mashhad County aged >1 year using randomized stratified cluster sampling. Examinations were performed after selection of the participants and their free transportation to the sampling site. The examinations included the measurement of uncorrected and corrected visual acuity, cycloplegic and non-cycloplegic refraction, cover testing, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and ophthalmoscopy. In this study, amblyopia was defined as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/30 or less or 2-line interocular optotype acuity differences with no pathology. After considering the exclusion criteria, the data of 2739 individuals, 65.6% of whom were women, were analyzed. The mean age of the participants was 29.5±17.5 years. The prevalence of amblyopia was 4.6% (95% CI: 3.77%-5.43%) in the total population. The lowest prevalence was 2.24% in the age group 5-15 years (95% CI: 0.99%-3.48%) and the highest prevalence was 7.14% in the age group 55-65 years (95% CI: 2.64%-11.56%). Anisometropic amblyopia was observed in 45.24% of the amblyopic participants. Isometropic, mixed (strabismic/anisometropic), and strabismic amblyopia were other common causes of amblyopia, with a prevalence of 24.6%, 16.67%, and 13.49% in amblyopic patients, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) of having amblyopia for each 1-year increase in age was 1.02 (95% CI: 1.01-1.03). Amblyopia was less common in people with better socioeconomic status. This study showed the prevalence of amblyopia in all age groups in a population-based study for the first time. The findings of this study regarding the relatively high prevalence of amblyopia in the older population and its lower prevalence in young people indicate attention to amblyopia in recent years.

Prevalence of Burnout Among Pain Medicine Physicians and Its Potential Effect upon Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Oncologic Pain or Chronic Pain of Nononcologic Origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Riquelme, Irene; Chacón, José-Ignacio; Gándara, Alba-Violeta; Muro, Inmaculada; Traseira, Susana; Monsalve, Vicente; Soriano, José-Francisco

2018-01-19

To evaluate the prevalence of burnout among physicians treating patients with chronic pain and to assess the potential relationships between the presence of burnout and patients' clinical outcomes such as pain relief, satisfaction with pain control, and quality of life. An observational, prospective, and noncomparative study. Pain medicine clinics. Physicians from medical departments involved in the management of chronic pain. Patients aged ≥18 years who exhibited moderate chronic pain lasting at least three months. Physicians were evaluated with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Patients were evaluated with the Charlson Comorbidity Index, the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D), and ad hoc instruments for evaluating satisfaction with pain control, the extent to which the treatment met patients' expectations, and subjective impressions of improvement. Of the 301 physician participants, 22 (7.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.9 to 10.8) met the criteria of burnout. Burnout was higher among physicians from pain units, while none of the 35 primary care physicians reported burnout. The presence of burnout was positively associated with patients' pain relief (odds ratio [OR] = 1.423, 95% CI = 1.090 to 1.858) but not with satisfaction with pain control or quality of life. Of the remaining independent variables, being treated by pain unit physicians was significantly associated with worse pain relief (OR = 0.592, 95% CI = 0.507 to 0.691), lower satisfaction (β = -0.680, 95% CI = -0.834 to -0.525), and worse quality of life (β = -4.047, 95% CI = -5.509 to -2.585) compared with being treated by physicians from other specialties (e.g., traumatologists, oncologists, etc.). Our study shows a lack of negative or clinically relevant (as shown by the negligible to small effect sizes) impact of burnout on patient-reported outcomes (namely, pain relief, satisfaction, and quality of life) in patients with

Medicinal plants in Brazil: Pharmacological studies, drug discovery, challenges and perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutra, Rafael C; Campos, Maria M; Santos, Adair R S; Calixto, João B

2016-10-01

This review article focuses on pre-clinical and clinical studies with some selected Brazilian medicinal plants in different areas of interest, conducted by research groups in Brazil and abroad. It also highlights the Brazilian market of herbal products and the efforts of Brazilian scientists to develop new phytomedicines. This review is divided into three sections. The section I describes the Brazilian large biodiversity and some attempts of Brazilian scientists to assess the pharmacological profile of most plant extracts or isolated active principles. Of note, Brazilian scientists have made a great effort to study the Brazilian biodiversity, especially among the higher plants. In fact, more than 10,000 papers were published on plants in international scientific journals between 2011 and 2013. This first part also discussed the main efforts to develop new medicines from plants, highlighting the Brazilian phytomedicines market. Despite the large Brazilian biodiversity, notably with the higher plants, which comprise over 45,000 species (20-22% of the total worldwide), and the substantial number of scientific publications on medicinal plants, only one phytomedicine is found in the top 20 market products. Indeed, this market is still only worth about 261 million American dollars. This represents less than 5% of the global Brazilian medicine market. The section II of this review focus on the use of Brazilian plant extract and/or active principles for some selected diseases, namely: central nervous systems disorders, pain, immune response and inflammation, respiratory diseases, gastrointestinal tract and metabolic diseases. Finally, section III discusses in more details some selected Brazilian medicinal plants including: Cordia verbenacea, Euphorbia tirucalli, Mandevilla velutina, Phyllanthus spp., Euterpe oleracea, Vitis labrusca, Hypericum caprifoliatum and Hypericum polyanthemum, Maytenus ilicifolia, Protium kleinii and Protium heptaphylium and Trichilia catigua. Most

Social disparities in the prevalence of multimorbidity - A register-based population study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schiøtz, Michaela L; Stockmarr, Anders; Høst, Dorte

2017-01-01

Prevalences of multimorbidity vary between European studies and several methods and definitions are used. In this study we examine the prevalence of multimorbidity in relation to age, gender and educational attainment and the association between physical and mental health conditions and education...

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China

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Yang Chunyan

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Medicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medicinal plants used by the Tibetan people. Methods After literature surveying, four local townships were selected to carry out the field investigation. Three local healers were interviewed as key informants. The methods of ethnobotany, anthropology and participatory rural appraisal (PRA were used in the field surveys. Plant taxonomic approach was adopted for voucher specimen identification. Results Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation. Conclusion As a part of the cultural diversity of Tibetan community, these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences may provide data and information basis for the sustainable utilization and development of Tibetan medicine, and may contribute to the local economic development. However, for many reasons, they are disappearing gradually as time goes by. Our study showed that there were abundant

Medicinal plants used by Tibetans in Shangri-la, Yunnan, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yanchun; Dao, Zhiling; Yang, Chunyan; Liu, Yitao; Long, Chunlin

2009-05-05

Medicinal plants used by the local people in Xizang (Tibet) have been investigated since the 1960s. The others out of Xizang, however, have been less understood, although they may be easily and strongly influenced by the various local herbal practices, diverse environments, local religious beliefs and different prevalent types of diseases. In 2006, two ethnobotanical surveys were organized in the county of Shangri-la, Yunnan Province, SW China, to document the traditional medicinal plants used by the Tibetan people. After literature surveying, four local townships were selected to carry out the field investigation. Three local healers were interviewed as key informants. The methods of ethnobotany, anthropology and participatory rural appraisal (PRA) were used in the field surveys. Plant taxonomic approach was adopted for voucher specimen identification. Sixty-eight medicinal plant species in 64 genera of 40 families were recorded and collected. Among them, 23 species were found to have medicinal values that have not been recorded in any existing Tibetan literatures before, and 31 species were recorded to have traditional prescriptions. Moreover, the traditional preparations of each species and some folk medicinal knowledge were recorded and analyzed. These traditional prescriptions, preparations, new medicinal plants and folk medicinal knowledge and principles were discovered and summarized by local traditional Tibetan healers through times of treatment practices, and were passed down from generation to generation. As a part of the cultural diversity of Tibetan community, these traditional medicinal knowledge and experiences may provide data and information basis for the sustainable utilization and development of Tibetan medicine, and may contribute to the local economic development. However, for many reasons, they are disappearing gradually as time goes by. Our study showed that there were abundant traditional Tibetan medicinal prescriptions and using methods. It

The prevalence of Giardia infection in dogs and cats, a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence studies from stool samples.

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Bouzid, Maha; Halai, Kapil; Jeffreys, Danielle; Hunter, Paul R

2015-01-30

Giardia has a wide range of host species and is a common cause of diarrhoeal disease in humans and animals. Companion animals are able to transmit a range of zoonotic diseases to their owners including giardiasis, but the size of this risk is not well known. The aim of this study was to analyse giardiasis prevalence rates in dogs and cats worldwide using a systematic search approach. Meta-analysis enabled to describe associations between Giardia prevalence and various confounding factors. Pooled prevalence rates were 15.2% (95% CI 13.8-16.7%) for dogs and 12% (95% CI 9.2-15.3%) for cats. However, there was very high heterogeneity between studies. Meta-regression showed that the diagnostic method used had a major impact on reported prevalence with studies using ELISA, IFA and PCR reporting prevalence rates between 2.6 and 3.7 times greater than studies using microscopy. Conditional negative binomial regression found that symptomatic animals had higher prevalence rates ratios (PRR) than asymptomatic animals 1.61 (95% CI 1.33-1.94) in dogs and 1.94 (95% CI 1.47-2.56) in cats. Giardia was much more prevalent in young animals. For cats >6 months, PRR=0.47 (0.42-0.53) and in dogs of the same age group PRR=0.36 (0.32-0.41). Additionally, dogs kept as pets were less likely to be positive (PRR=0.56 (0.41-0.77)) but any difference in cats was not significant. Faecal excretion of Giardia is common in dogs and slightly less so in cats. However, the exact rates depend on the diagnostic method used, the age and origin of the animal. What risk such endemic colonisation poses to human health is still unclear as it will depend not only on prevalence rates but also on what assemblages are excreted and how people interact with their pets. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anti-hemorrhoidal plants in Iranian traditional medicine

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S. Dehdari

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Hemorrhoidal disease is a prevalent anorectal condition that is explained as the symptomatic expansions and displacements of the normal hemorrhoidal cushions. Symptomatic hemorrhoids affect more than one million individuals in the western world every year. Hemorrhoids is a well-known disease in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM. Avicenna and other Iranian traditional practitioners have exactly defined this condition in their manuscripts and herbal therapy was the main treatment that was recommended. In the present study, medicinal plants with hemorrhoids healing properties in ITM have been investigated. Method: ITM  textbooks including “Al Qanun fi al-tibb (Canon of medicine”, “Al-Havi (Liber continent”, “Alabnie an haghaegh ol advieh (the Book of remedies”, “Al-jami li-mufradat al-adviya va al-aghziya”, “Ikhtiyarat‑e‑ badiyee”, “Tohfat-ol-momenin” and “Makhzan ol advieh  were searched to find the most used herbs. Results: Some of obtained plants such as Commiphora mukul (Hook. ex Stocks Engl., Phyllantus emblica L. and Aloe vera (L. Burm.f.,were the most used herbs. Conclusion: these plants could be introduced as the good resources for future studies in order to produce novel drugs.

Complications of aesthetic medicine procedures: five case studies.

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Smędra, A; Szustowski, S; Klemm, J; Jurczyk, A; Zalewska-Janowska, A; Berent, J

2015-01-01

The paper presents the cases of five patients who developed complications after aesthetic medicine procedures. Four of the cases involved women who reported to the Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, for a description and legal qualification of bodily injuries suffered as a result of aesthetic medicine procedures, whereas one was related to the assessment of accuracy of medical management at the request of the prosecutor handling the case. The reported cases concerned acid exfoliation treatments, photoepilation and cryotherapy. The authors attempt to discuss the most common complications that may occur after aesthetic medicine procedures, and measures to avoid them.

The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Portugal: the PORMETS study.

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Raposo, Luís; Severo, Milton; Barros, Henrique; Santos, Ana Cristina

2017-06-08

The PORMETS study was designed to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its determinants in the overall and administrative regions of the Portuguese mainland. A cross-sectional study of a representative sample of non-institutionalized Portuguese adults selected from primary health care centres lists including 1695 men and 2309 women was conducted from February 2007 to July 2009. A structured questionnaire was administered, collecting information on personal medical history and socio-demographic and behavioural characteristics. Anthropometrics, blood pressure, and venous blood samples were obtained. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to three operational definitions. The prevalence ratios and their respective 95% confidence intervals were calculated using binomial generalized linear regression, with the log link function. The prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome in this sample of Portuguese adults were 36.5%, 49.6%, and 43.1%, using the Adult Treatment Panel III, International Diabetes Federation and Joint Interim Statement definitions, respectively. The most prevalent feature of metabolic syndrome in this sample was high blood pressure (64.3%) and the lowest was high fasting glucose (24.9%). After adjustment for age and gender, significant differences were observed for the 18 districts of the Portugal mainland. Additionally, metabolic syndrome was significantly more frequent in non-urban areas than in urban ones (p = 0.001). The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in women (p˂0.001) and older participants (p˂0.001), as well as in those who reported being housewives (p = 0.010), retired (p = 0.046) or unemployed (p = 0.024). This study showed that metabolic syndrome is highly prevalent in the Portuguese adult population. Regional differences in the prevalence of this syndrome were observed, and this condition was more common in non-urban areas and less favoured socio-economic categories.

A prospective study to assess the palatability of analgesic medicines in children.

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Smith, Coral June; Sammons, Helen M; Fakis, Apostolos; Conroy, Sharon

2013-03-01

This study examined children's opinions on the taste of three analgesic medicines: paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine. Many medicines for children are unpleasant and unacceptable. Research has shown that children's taste preferences differ to adults, in whom palatability is often tested. Little British research exists on children's opinions on the palatability of medicines. This study aimed to address this gap in knowledge. Prospective observational study. Between May-September 2008, hospital inpatients aged 5-16 years rated the taste of required analgesics on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. This incorporated a 5-point facial hedonic scale. They were also asked their favourite flavour and colour for a medicine. A total of 159 children took part. Eighty-five males (53·5%) and 74 females (46·5%). The median age was 8 years (Inter-quartile range 6-11). The taste of ibuprofen was significantly preferred to paracetamol or codeine. Significant differences were observed depending if the medicine rated was taken first or second (for example pre-medication with paracetamol and ibuprofen). Younger children (5-8 years) were more likely to choose the extremes of the scale when grading than older children were. Preferred flavours on questioning were strawberry 44% and banana 17%. Favourite colours were pink 25·8% and red 20·8%, with girls more likely to choose pink and boys blue. Ibuprofen was the most palatable analgesic medicine tested. Children reported they preferred fruit flavours and colour was sex dependent. Nurses when administering two medicines together should consider giving the least palatable first, for example paracetamol before ibuprofen for pre-medication. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Report: Studies on antibacterial activity of some traditional medicinal plants used in folk medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Israr, Fozia; Hassan, Fouzia; Naqvi, Baqir Shyum; Azhar, Iqbal; Jabeen, Sabahat; Hasan, S M Farid

2012-07-01

Ethanolic extracts of eight medicinal plants commonly used in folk medicine were tested for their antibacterial activity against four Gram positive strains (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and, Streptococcus pneumoniae) and six Gram negative strains (Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis. Salmonella typhi para A, Salmonella typhi para B and Shigella dysenteriae) that were obtained from different pathological laboratories located in Karachi, Pakistan. Disc diffusion method was used to analyze antibacterial activity. Out of eight, five medicinal plants showed antibacterial activity against two or more than two microbial species. The most effective antimicrobial plant found to be Punica granatum followed by Curcuma zedoaria Rosc, Grewia asiatica L and Carissa carandas L, Curcuma caesia Roxb respectively. From these results, it is evident that medicinal plants could be used as a potential source of new antibacterial agents.

Radiation exposure and dosimetry in transplant patients due to Nuclear Medicine studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Maghraby, T. A. F.; Cairo Univ., Cairo; Camps, J. A. J.; Geleyns, J.; Pauwels, E. K. J.

2000-01-01

Organ transplantation is now an accepted method of therapy for treating patients with end stage failure of kidneys, liver, heart or lung. Nuclear Medicine may provide functional data and semi-quantitative parameters. However, one serious factor that hampers the use of nuclear medicine procedures in transplant patients is the general clinical concern about radiation exposure to the patient. This lead the researcher to discuss the effective doses and radiation dosimetry associated with radionuclide procedures used in the management and follow-up of transplant patients. A simple way to place the risk associated with Nuclear Medicine studies in an appropriate context is to compare the dose with that received from more familiar source of exposure such as from a diagnostic X-ray procedure. The radiation dose for the different radiopharmaceuticals used to study transplant organ function ranges between 0.1 and 5.3 mSv which is comparable to X-ray procedures with the exception of 201 Tl and 111 In-antimyosin. Thus Nuclear Medicine studies do not bear a higher radiation risk than the often used X-ray studies in transplant patients

A Review Study on the Effect of Iranian Herbal Medicines on Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.

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Ebrahimie, Marzieh; Bahmani, Mahmoud; Shirzad, Hedayatollah; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Saki, Kourosh

2015-10-01

Addiction is a chronic and recurring disease that recurrence phenomenon is the most important challenge in treatment of this disease. Recent experiences have shown that synthetic drugs have undesirable side effects. Recent studies on medicinal plants have shown that they might be effective in treatment of different stages of addiction with lower side effects and costs. The aim of this study was to review the effects of medicinal plants in the treatment of morphine addiction in experimental animals. In this review article, by using keywords of morphine, withdrawal, and plants or herbal medicine in databases of indexing cites, desired articles were obtained since 1994. Inclusion criteria for selecting articles were the articles related to application of medicinal plants in decreasing symptoms resulting from morphine withdrawal were selected. Results of this study on experimental studies have shown that medicinal plants such as Trachyspermum copticum L and Melissa officinalis decrease the symptoms of withdrawal syndrome in a dose-dependent. Also, medicinal plants like Avena sativa, Hypericum perforatu, Passiflora incarnate, Valeriana officinalis, Satureja hortensis L, and Mentha piperita can have effects on behavior, emotions, and other problems of addicts, decreasing withdrawal symptoms. Results of this study showed that medicinal plants can be effective in controlling deprivation, decreasing dependency creation, and possibly DETOXIFICATION: of opioid addicts. © The Author(s) 2015.

Odds Ratio or Prevalence Ratio? An Overview of Reported Statistical Methods and Appropriateness of Interpretations in Cross-sectional Studies with Dichotomous Outcomes in Veterinary Medicine

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Brayan Alexander Fonseca Martinez

2017-11-01

Full Text Available One of the most commonly observational study designs employed in veterinary is the cross-sectional study with binary outcomes. To measure an association with exposure, the use of prevalence ratios (PR or odds ratios (OR are possible. In human epidemiology, much has been discussed about the use of the OR exclusively for case–control studies and some authors reported that there is no good justification for fitting logistic regression when the prevalence of the disease is high, in which OR overestimate the PR. Nonetheless, interpretation of OR is difficult since confusing between risk and odds can lead to incorrect quantitative interpretation of data such as “the risk is X times greater,” commonly reported in studies that use OR. The aims of this study were (1 to review articles with cross-sectional designs to assess the statistical method used and the appropriateness of the interpretation of the estimated measure of association and (2 to illustrate the use of alternative statistical methods that estimate PR directly. An overview of statistical methods and its interpretation using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA guidelines was conducted and included a diverse set of peer-reviewed journals among the veterinary science field using PubMed as the search engine. From each article, the statistical method used and the appropriateness of the interpretation of the estimated measure of association were registered. Additionally, four alternative models for logistic regression that estimate directly PR were tested using our own dataset from a cross-sectional study on bovine viral diarrhea virus. The initial search strategy found 62 articles, in which 6 articles were excluded and therefore 56 studies were used for the overall analysis. The review showed that independent of the level of prevalence reported, 96% of articles employed logistic regression, thus estimating the OR. Results of the multivariate models

Self-reported hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia management by Italian Internal Medicine Units: a national survey of the FADOI Study Group in Cardiovascular Medicine

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Alberto Mazza

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the management practices of internal medicine clinicians for patients with cardiovascular risk factors, with particular respect to treatment thresholds, medication choices and target goals. A sample of internists - representatives of Internal Medicine Units (IMUs from all the regions in Italy - were identified by the cardiovascular medicine study group of the Italian Internal Medicine FADOI (Federazione delle Associazioni dei Dirigenti Ospedalieri Internisti Society and invited to fill out a questionnaire about hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperuricemia. From the 101 questionnaires collected, it was found that despite large heterogeneity between IMUs in terms of patient management and adherence to guidelines, internists were experts in the management of patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors and associated comorbidities. We hope that these data prompt the internal medicine community to consider the value of producing shared, real-world guidelines on the management of cardiovascular disease.

Efficacy of clinical diagnostic procedures utilized in nuclear medicine. Nine month progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1978-01-01

This study is designed to determine the efficacy of nuclear medicine procedures in clinical practice. Several methods of determining efficacy will be evaluated to determine those most suitable. Nuclear medicine methods will be confined to the study of lung diseases by pulmonary perfusion and ventilation. In addition to evaluating the above methods data will be obtained to determine the sensitivity, specificity, predictive value and efficiency of the test under consideration. These values, corrected for prevalence of the disease processes under consideration will then be compared to the values obtained by the MACRO and MICRO methods and will help to bound the clinical reliability of the diagnostic method depending on the degree to which the several methods trend together. Depending on the practicality of these two methods, in addition to the determination of efficacy, cost effectiveness factors and benefit-risk estimates which are used to apply to radiation effects will be determined for nuclear medicine studies of the brain, bone, heart, liver and thyroid subsequently. The measurement techniques will then be utilized to establish guidelines for the most useful applications of the given procedure so that clinicians will be able to obtain a pretest estimate of the utility of the nuclear medicine test.

Clinical Study on Treatment of Depression with Combined Acupuncture & Medicine

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

XU Hong; WANG Qiao-chu; HAN Chou-ping

2003-01-01

Purpose To observe and compare the curative effects of combined acupuncture and medicine with simple herbal medicine on treatment of depression. Method Altogether 63 cases were enrolled according to the determination of internationally accepted self-evaluation depression scales (SDS), among them 33 cases were treated with combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine (acupuncture-medicine group) and the other 30 cases were in treated with herbal medicine alone (herbal medicine group) Results The total effective rate of acupuncture-medicine group was 90.9% and that of herbal group was 80.0%. And there was significant statistics difference between the curative effects of two groups (P <0.05) without obvious adverse reaction. Conclusion Combination of acupuncture and medicine has better effect in treating depression than herbal medicine group.

A systematic review of anti-obesity medicinal plants - an update.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasani-Ranjbar, Shirin; Jouyandeh, Zahra; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2013-06-19

Obesity is the most prevalent health problem affecting all age groups, and leads to many complications in the form of chronic heart disease, diabetes mellitus Type 2 and stroke. A systematic review about safety and efficacy of herbal medicines in the management of obesity in human was carried out by searching bibliographic data bases such as, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and IranMedex, for studies reported between 30th December 2008 to 23rd April 2012 on human or animals, investigating the beneficial and harmful effects of herbal medicine to treat obesity. Actually we limited our search to such a narrow window of time in order to update our article published before December of 2008. In this update, the search terms were "obesity" and ("herbal medicine" or "plant", "plant medicinal" or "medicine traditional") without narrowing or limiting search items. Publications with available abstracts were reviewed only. Total publications found in the initial search were 651. Total number of publications for review study was 33 by excluding publications related to animals study.Studies with Nigella Sativa, Camellia Sinensis, Crocus Sativus L, Seaweed laminaria Digitata, Xantigen, virgin olive oil, Catechin enriched green tea, Monoselect Camellia, Oolong tea, Yacon syrup, Irvingia Gabonensi, Weighlevel, RCM-104 compound of Camellia Sinensis, Pistachio, Psyllium fibre, black Chinese tea, sea buckthorn and bilberries show significant decreases in body weight. Only, alginate-based brown seaweed and Laminaria Digitata caused an abdominal bloating and upper respiratory tract infection as the side effect in the trial group. No other significant adverse effects were reported in all 33 trials included in this article.In conclusion, Nigella Sativa, Camellia Synensis, Green Tea, and Black Chinese Tea seem to have satisfactory anti-obesity effects. The effect size of these medicinal plants is a critical point that should be considered for interpretation. Although there

Phytotoxic studies of medicinal plant species of Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilani, S.A.; Adnan, M.; Kikuchi, A.; Fujii, Y.; Shinwari, Z.K.; Kazuo, N.; Watanabe, K.N.

2010-01-01

Allelopathic screening of 81 medicinal plant species, collected from North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Pakistan, was carried out to identify significantly higher allelopathic species for future phyto chemical analyses. For this purpose, sandwich method was used to test allelopathic potentials of leaf leachates of these plant species against lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa L.). Two different concentrations of 10 mg and 50 mg of leaf leachates were used in the study. The radicle and hypocotyl growths were measured and compared with control treatments. It was observed that an endemic species Seriphidium kurramense, Andrachne cordifolia and Rhazya stricta were the stronger phyto toxic plants as compared to the other test species. Based on the current screening, three potential medicinal plants are recommended for future bioassay guided isolation of allelochemicals and for genetic diversity studies. It would also be interesting to see correlation between genetic markers and isolated allelochemicals. (author)

Study of Herbal Medicine in Zirrah (Touz /Dashtestan/Bushehr province

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Mohammad ali Ziraee

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Ethnopharmacology has been seen as a multidisciplinary approach for novel drug discovery by providing valuable data about medicinal plants in different cultures. The aim of this ethnopharmacological study was to identify medicinal plants of the Zirrah (Touz/Dashtestan/Bushehr province in the North of Persian Gulf. Material and Methods: The medical uses of medicinal plants were gathered from 23 local informants by face to face interviews. The relative frequency of citation (FRC and cultural importance (CI indices were calculated. Results: A total of 131 medicinal plants belonging to 62 families were identified. Malva sylvestris, Zataria multiflora, Terminalia chebula, Cuminum cyminum, Foenicum vulgare, Olivera decumbens, Echium amoenum, Teucriuma polium, Cannabis sativa and Papaver somniferum had the highest cultural importance indices. Ducrosia anethifolia Bioss, Nigella sativa, Capparis spinosa and Urtica dioica had the highest FRC indices. The highest medical uses were for gastrointestinal diseases, gynecological diseases and dermatological uses, infectious diseases, nature of cool and metabolic disorders, respectively. Conclusion: There is a vast variety of medicinal plants in Zirrah (Touz/Dashtestan/Bushehr province. Although most of therapeutic applications of these plants in the Zirrah (Touz/Dashtestan/Bushehr province are the same as Iran’s traditional medicine, but the people of this region use some of these plants for some diseases which are unique for this area. Thus, investigation about these plants should be initiated to discover novel drugs for clinical applications.

The prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome in a community sample of Iranian population: Iranian PCOS prevalence study

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Hosseinpanah Farhad

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the heavy burden and impact of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS in reproduction and public health, estimates regarding its prevalence at community levels are limited. We aimed to ascertain prevalence of PCOS in a community based sample using the National Institute of Health (NIH, the Rotterdam consensus (Rott. and the Androgen Excess Society (AES criteria. Methods Using the stratified, multistage probability cluster sampling method, 1126 women were randomly selected from among reproductive aged women of different geographic regions of Iran. PCOS were diagnosed using universal assessment of ultrasonographic parameters, hormonal profiles and clinical histories. Results The mean +/- SD of age of study population was 34.4 +/- 7.6 years. Estimated prevalence of idiopathic hirsutism was 10.9% (95% CI: 8.9-12.9%; 8.3% of women had only oligo/anovulation and 8.0% had only polycystic ovaries. The prevalence of PCOS was 7.1% (95% CI: 5.4-8.8% using the NIH definition, 11.7% (95% CI: 9.5-13.7% by AES criteria and 14.6% (95% CI: 12.3-16.9% using the Rott definition. Conclusions At community level, widespread screening of Rotterdam criteria will increase the estimated prevalence of PCOS over twofold. Establishing an explicit and contemporaneous method for definition and screening of each PCOS criteria has important investigational implications and increase the comparability of published research.

Trends in new injuries, prevalent cases, and aging with spinal cord injury.

Science.gov (United States)

DeVivo, Michael J; Chen, Yuying

2011-03-01

To determine the characteristics of the newly injured and prevalent population with spinal cord injury (SCI) and assess trends over time. Prospective cohort study. SCI Model Systems and Shriners Hospital SCI units. The study population included people whose injuries occurred from 1935 to 2008 (N=45,442). The prevalent population was estimated based on those who were still alive in 2008. Losses to follow-up (approximately 10%) were excluded from the prevalent population. Not applicable. Demographic and injury characteristics, mortality, self-reported health, rehospitalization, FIM, Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique, and the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale. Mean age at injury increased 9 years since the 1970s. Injuries caused by falls and injuries resulting in high-level tetraplegia and ventilator dependency are increasing, while neurologically complete injuries are decreasing. Discharge to a nursing home is increasing. The mean age of the prevalent population is slightly higher than that of newly injured individuals, and the percentage of incident and prevalent cases older than 60 years is the same (13%). Prevalent cases tend to be less severely injured than incident cases, and less than 5% of prevalent cases reside in nursing homes. Within the prevalent population, life satisfaction and community participation are greater among persons who are at least 30 years postinjury. These findings are a result of very high mortality rates observed after 60 years of age. Within the prevalent population, the percentage of elderly persons will not increase meaningfully. Those who reach older ages will typically have incomplete and/or lower-level injuries and will have relatively high degrees of independence and overall good health. Copyright © 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevalence of iatrogenic admissions to the Departments of Medicine/Cardiology/ Pulmonology in a 1,250 bed general hospital

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Atiqi, R.; van Bommel, E.; Cleophas, T. J.; Zwinderman, A. H.

2010-01-01

A recent meta-analysis in this journal showed incidences between 3.4 and 33.9%. Studies performed by pharmacists and epidemiologists produced lower incidences than internists' studies. We reassessed the prevalence of iatrogenic admissions in a study of internists. Iatrogenic disease was defined as

Prevalence of celiac disease in adult Chinese patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome: A prospective, controlled, cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kou, Guan Jun; Guo, Jing; Zuo, Xiu Li; Li, Chang Qing; Liu, Chao; Ji, Rui; Liu, Han; Wang, Xiao; Li, Yan Qing

2018-03-01

Celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory enteropathy with a symptom spectrum similar to that of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is a common but largely undiagnosed condition in the Western countries. However, it is extremely rare among Chinese individuals, and few studies have investigated its prevalence in China. The aim was to determine the prevalence of celiac disease in patients with IBS who were diagnosed using the Rome III criteria in a single center of northern China. This was a single-center, prospective, controlled cohort study performed in Qilu Hospital involving 246 patients with IBS and 246 healthy controls. Blood samples were drawn to assess serum tissue transglutaminase immunoglobulin A (tTg-IgA). Patients with a positive or equivocal tTg-IgA (≥15 U/mL) were subjected to probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) and duodenal biopsy to confirm celiac disease. Altogether 12 (4.9%) patients with IBS and two (0.8%) healthy controls were positive or equivocal for serum tTg-IgA. Of these, five patients with IBS underwent pCLE and a targeted biopsy; all were histopathologically found to have celiac disease, although one was eventually diagnosed with lymphoma. After implementation of a gluten-free diet, seven patients serologically positive for IBS showed clinical improvement, thus our study illustrated a minimum prevalence of 2.85% of celiac disease among patients with IBS in our center. Celiac disease is not rare in Chinese individuals, particularly among those with IBS. Therefore, it should receive higher attention in clinical practice in China. © 2018 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Use of medicines and other products for therapeutic purposes among children in Brazil.

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Pizzol, Tatiane da Silva Dal; Tavares, Noemia Urruth Leão; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso; Farias, Mareni Rocha; Arrais, Paulo Sergio Dourado; Ramos, Luiz Roberto; Oliveira, Maria Auxiliadora; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Mengue, Sotero Serrate

2016-12-01

To assess the prevalence of the use of medicines and other products for therapeutic purposes in the Brazilian pediatric population and test whether demographic, socioeconomic and health factors are associated with use. A cross-sectional population-based study (National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines - PNAUM), including 7,528 children aged 12 or younger, living in urban areas in Brazil. Medicine use to treat chronic or acute diseases was reported by the primary caregiver present at the household interview. Associations between independent variables and medicine use were investigated by Poisson regression. The overall prevalence of medicine use was 30.7% (95%CI 28.3-33.1). The prevalence of medicine use for chronic diseases was 5.6% (95%CI 4.7-6.7) and for acute conditions, 27.1% (95%CI 24.8-29.4). The factors significantly associated with overall use were five years old or under, living in the Northeast region, having health insurance and using health services in the last 12 months (emergency visits and hospitalizations). The following were associated with drug use for chronic diseases: age ≥ 2 years, Southeast and South regions, and use of health services. For drug use in treating acute conditions, the following associated factors were identified: ≤ 5 years, North, Northeast or Midwest regions, health insurance, and one or more emergency visits. The most commonly used drugs among children under two years of age were paracetamol, ascorbic acid, and dipyrone; for children aged two years or over they were dipyrone, paracetamol, and amoxicillin. The use of medicine by children is considerable, especially in treating acute medical conditions. Children using drugs for chronic diseases have a different demographic profile from those using drugs for acute conditions in relation to gender, age, and geographic region. Estimar a prevalência de uso de medicamentos e outros produtos com finalidade terapêutica na população pedi

Traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine: Focusing on research into traditional Tibetan medicine in China.

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Song, Peipei; Xia, Jufeng; Rezeng, Caidan; Tong, Li; Tang, Wei

2016-07-19

As a form of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine (TCAM), traditional Tibetan medicine has developed into a mainstay of medical care in Tibet and has spread from there to China and then to the rest of the world. Thus far, research on traditional Tibetan medicine has focused on the study of the plant and animal sources of traditional medicines, study of the histology of those plants and animals, chemical analysis of traditional medicines, pharmacological study of those medicines, and evaluation of the clinical efficacy of those medicines. A number of papers on traditional Tibetan medicines have been published, providing some evidence of the efficacy of traditional Tibetan medicine. However, many traditional Tibetan medicines have unknown active ingredients, hampering the establishment of drug quality standards, the development of new medicines, commercial production of medicines, and market availability of those medicines. Traditional Tibetan medicine must take several steps to modernize and spread to the rest of the world: the pharmacodynamics of traditional Tibetan medicines need to be determined, the clinical efficacy of those medicines needs to be verified, criteria to evaluate the efficacy of those medicines need to be established in order to guide their clinical use, and efficacious medicines need to be acknowledged by the pharmaceutical market. The components of traditional Tibetan medicine should be studied, traditional Tibetan medicines should be screened for their active ingredients, and techniques should be devised to prepare and manufacture those medicines.

Gender-specific estimates of COPD prevalence: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Ntritsos G

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Georgios Ntritsos,1 Jacob Franek,2 Lazaros Belbasis,1 Maria A Christou,1 Georgios Markozannes,1 Pablo Altman,3 Robert Fogel,3 Tobias Sayre,2 Evangelia E Ntzani,1 Evangelos Evangelou1,4 1Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece; 2Doctor Evidence, Client Solutions, Santa Monica, CA, USA; 3Global Medical Affairs, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA; 4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK Rationale: COPD has been perceived as being a disease of older men. However, >7 million women are estimated to live with COPD in the USA alone. Despite a growing body of literature suggesting an increasing burden of COPD in women, the evidence is limited. Objectives: To assess and synthesize the available evidence among population-based epidemiologic studies and calculate the global prevalence of COPD in men and women. Materials and methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis reporting gender-specific prevalence of COPD was undertaken. Gender-specific prevalence estimates were abstracted from relevant studies. Associated patient characteristics as well as custom variables pertaining to the diagnostic method and other important epidemiologic covariates were also collected. A Bayesian random-effects meta-analysis was performed investigating gender-specific prevalence of COPD stratified by age, geography, calendar time, study setting, diagnostic method, and disease severity. Measurements and main results: Among 194 eligible studies, summary prevalence was 9.23% (95% credible interval [CrI]: 8.16%–10.36% in men and 6.16% (95% CrI: 5.41%–6.95% in women. Gender prevalences varied widely by the World Health Organization Global Burden of Disease subregions, with the highest female prevalence found in North America (8.07% vs 7.30% and in participants in urban settings (13.03% vs 8.34%. Meta